ESI Scheme Mooted For Unorganised Coir Workers

Kochi: Considering the plight of coir workers in the unorganised sector, the Coir Board has requested the Union Labour Minister to bring them under the ambit of ESI scheme.

In a letter to the Union Labour Minister, Oscar Fernandez, the Coir Board Chairman, A.C. Jose, pointed out that there are around 3.8 lakh workers, mostly women in the unorganised sector of coir working in the spinning and weaving category. They are finding it difficult to make both ends meet on account of paltry wages.

The Coir Board, Jose said, had introduced Coir Board Workers Group Insurance Scheme, which provide for death insurance and permanent disability. The unorganised workers need to be covered under welfare schemes such as ESI so that they can get the benefit of hospitalisation and medicines, he said.

The Coir Board Chairman also suggested that all those who are registered with the Kerala Workers Welfare Fund Act be given the protection of coverage under ESI on production of registration documents with the Welfare Board.

At present, some concessions provided by the Welfare Board include various assistances such as educational assistance, marriage assistance, medical assistance, funeral assistance and the like. But it did not compensate their medical assistance.