Thiruvananthapuram: In an incident highlighting the nokkukooli (gawking wage) issue, headload workers demanded Rs 25,000 as labour charge for unloading construction materials worth Rs. 70,000 for a film set in the Thiruvananthapuram Central Stadium. After receiving a complaint, Kerala Minister V. Sivankutty intervened, leading to the suspension of ten headload workers involved in the incident.

As the materials arrived on Friday for the construction of a 3,000-square-yard pandal, the headload workers reportedly halted the unloading process, demanding Rs 25,000 for the work. The contractor responsible for the job had initially offered Rs 10,000 as compensation, but the headload workers rejected this, insisting on the higher amount. When negotiations failed, the contractor complained to the Cantonment Police and contacted Minister V. Sivankutty directly.

Responding to the complaint, Minister Sivankutty directed the Kerala Labour Welfare Fund Board chairman to investigate. Following a joint inspection by board representatives and the police, authorities confirmed the headload workers’s excessive wage demand and obstruction of work. Citing The Motor Transport Workers Act, the board subsequently suspended ten headload workers associated with the incident. These headload workers have been instructed not to return to their duties until further notice.

To complete the job, the contractor arranged his workers to unload the materials.