Nokku Kooli in Kerala – Arrested development

Kerala is heading towards its worst form of militant labour – Nokku Kooli.

Militant Kerala Workers

This incident took shamelessness to its height – The incident took place in Adoor a small town in Kerala. Surendran was purchasing large teak wood pieces for construction of his house. The wooden blocks were placed on to a truck engaging a hired elephant. He paid Rs.2750 to the mahout. As soon as the truck moved out of the timber merchants godown the truck was stopped by AITUC, INTUC, CITU & BMS headload workers together. They demanded Rs. 1500 as Nokku Kooli. Surendran had no option but to pay.  As the truck took off  small pieces of wood fell off the truck. The workers refused to put it back.

Surendran, you lucky man, you got those men for cheap. Wonder what they would have demanded if they knew of the elephants hire charge!!

Nokku kooli is a Malayalam terminology meaning ‘pay for looking over’. It is an unofficial labour norm under which wages are paid to trade union activists for allowing investors/ builders to unload material using either machines or their own labour. This amount is charged by labour unions as they feel that they have lost their work and the income.

The trade union movement in Kerala owes its growth to the Communist parties relentless efforts to elevate the downtrodden but now the fight has traversed much too far mutating the breed. Investments have crippled and industries are shifting base. Such indiscriminate demands of loading/ unloading workers is rampant across Kerala with the political parties haplessly crying foul. This phoenix needs to be scuffled.

While it is very common to see workers lean across lamp posts watching over work being carried out by the employers labour (and in some cases the employers themselves), they do maintain their composure and wait for their NOKKU KOOLI till the others have completed their work.