Rehab of bar workers stuck

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A high-level meeting held here on Friday on the future of bar workers failed to discuss  any rehabilitation plans as the  workers insisted on scrapping the new liquor policy.  There was also confusion over the number of employees rendered jobless.

While only 7,463 workers of the 418 already closed bars were registered with the Abkari Workers Welfare Fund Board and provident fund, leaders of trade unions claimed that the actual number of workers in bar hotels was around 50,000.

“Without proper records of the actual number of workers, it will be difficult to identify the beneficiaries of any rehabilitation packages. Anyway, we have advised the union leaders to come up with suggestions in this regard which could be discussed at the next round of meeting,” Excise Minister K. Babu told reporters after the meeting.

The meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy also promised  to consider the demand to give government jobs to dependants of bar workers who committed suicide. There were even demands to provide government jobs to all the workers rendered jobless. A committee of officials of various departments, headed by excise commissioner Anil Xavier, will look into all such aspects.

“By imposing five percent cess on liquor, the government would receive nearly Rs. 114 crore during this year and Rs. 205 crore next year for rehabilitation. Hence, there would not be fund constrains for rehabilitation,” said the excise minister.

The representatives of bar workers maintained that instead of prohibition, the government should strengthen awareness activities. “We have ruled out the demand,” Mr. Babu said.

He also said that all those who were served advice memo by Kerala Public Service Commission for jobs in Kerala State Beverages Corporation would be given appointment.

The Centre for Management Development was studying  the staff requirement of the corporation and based on that employees who are now serving on deputation on the corporation would be repatriated.

The committee headed by the excise commissioner would also look into the issues pertaining to pension and provident fund of the workers, he said.

Senior officials of excise, labour and social justice departments and leaders of various trade unions attended the meeting.