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‘Fly, folks, fly’: Kochi entrepreneur slams trade union workers for blocking work at construction site
Entrepreneur Louis Issac said trade union issues are pushing pushing entrepreneurs away from the state and that Kerala needs a business-friendly environment.
Two young entrepreneurs in Kerala recently faced a standoff with trade union workers, who insisted on unloading construction materials themselves despite being told that the fragile glass panels required skilled handling using proper safety equipment.
Louis Issac and Anto Raffy, of a startup called Idea House Coworking, were racing against a deadline to complete the interior works at a commercial building in Kochi. The stand-off between the entrepreneurs and the labour union began last Tuesday after toughened glass panels arrived at the construction site in a truck.
The entrepreneurs alleged that CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) workers insisted that they get the right to unload the glass panels. Meanwhile, Isaac and Raffy had brought another set of workers to do the work.
Taking to LinkedIn, Isaac said, "Despite paying costs and taxes, I’m stuck - unable to unload materials like toughened glass, which requires skilled labour and specialised equipment like glass catchers. Why? Labour unions are blocking progress, demanding control over tasks they’re often untrained for."
"We need change - better enforcement, skilled labour and a business-friendly environment. Until then, it feels like Kerala is saying, 'Fly, folks, fly'."
The entrepreneurs maintained that they have no issues with the CITU workers unloading the glass panels if they follow the safety guidelines.
"We will unload each glass panel with utmost care. If anything breaks, we will pay the amount they (the entrepreneurs) ask for," a trade union worker told Malayalam news channel Reporter TV during the face-off between the two men and the workers.
The deadlock did not end despite police intervention and a meeting between the entrepreneurs and the trade union workers at the nearby police station.
Last month, a car dealership worker at Kochi died after being crushed by a Range Rover while the luxury car was being unloaded from a trailer reportedly by a trade union worker.
