Government Is Helping Corro Health Evade Accountability, Says CITU on Mass Layoff Row

Thiruvananthapuram: CITU has accused the Kerala government of facilitating Corro Health management's anti-worker policies and helping the company evade accountability in the mass layoff dispute.

According to CITU, during the meeting convened by the State Labour Minister, Corro Health management requested additional time to submit proposals on all issues except the company's closure and employee layoffs. Based on this request, a direct discussion was scheduled for August 20.

However, CITU stated that Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty intervened without consulting the trade unions or employee representatives who participated in the talks. The union criticized the minister's proposal to provide alternative employment through G-Tech, calling it unilateral, undemocratic, and a shortcut aimed at misleading employees.

CITU said the Industries Minister's unilateral intervention had reduced the August 20 meeting to a mere formality and accused the government of creating an opportunity for the management to escape its legal obligations. Instead, the government should use its statutory powers to initiate prosecution against the management, the union said.

The trade union also demanded clarity on whether the Labour Minister was aware of what it described as the Industries Minister's "behind-the-scenes" move.

CITU maintained that employees are entitled to all legal rights and statutory benefits and questioned whether G-Tech would provide the same benefits in place of Corro Health. It insisted that Corro Health management itself must be compelled to withdraw its actions.

In its statement, the CITU State Committee said the government's decision to sideline trade unions, including CITU, which had stood with employees from the beginning of the dispute, was anti-worker and favoured corporate management over labour rights.