Latest news with #LouisIssac
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Who gets to lift over 8,500 kg of glass? Kochi startup, trade union face off in 4-day deadlock
The heated standoff between two entrepreneurs and trade union workers in Kochi, which lasted over four days, ended last Friday, with CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) allotting trained workers to unload construction material at the site. The deadlock between the Kochi startup and trade union workers began after heavy glass panels arrived at a construction site. The deadlock began last Tuesday after the trade union workers insisted on unloading toughened glass panels - over 100 panels, each weighing 85 kg - themselves despite being told that the fragile material required skilled handling using proper safety equipment. The incident gained traction after coverage by Malayalam media and after one of the interior firm's founders took to LinkedIn to highlight what he called the "hard truth about starting a business in Kerala". Speaking to Louis Issac, co-founder of Idea House Coworking, confirmed that the standoff with CITU workers has now been resolved and that they were charged ₹30,000 by the union for unloading and moving the material. "They only placed it in the 10-metre limit. From there we had to move it," Issac said. The issue sparked a discussion online, with many agreeing with the entrepreneurs' call for a more business-friendly environment in the state. The episode also brought back to light the issue of the banned "Nokku Kooli", a fee charged by trade union workers for the work either done by machine or others as their right. Nokku Kooli was banned in 2018 by the Left government but it is still prevalent in many parts of Kerala. "The government must either disband the union or provide them with proper technical and safety training. Otherwise, we will not cooperate," Issac told adding that a group of startup founders in Kerala has sought a meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to put forth their demands. "If unresolved, we're planning a statewide entrepreneurs' rally," he said. Before the standoff was resolved, the police intervened and called both the workers and the entrepreneurs - Issac and his partner Anto Raffy - to the station for mediation. In June, 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.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
‘Fly, folks, fly': Kochi entrepreneur slams trade union workers for blocking work at construction site
Two young entrepreneurs in Kerala recently faced a standoff with tradunion 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 is a managing partner at Idea House Coworking in Kochi, Kerala. (@Louis Issac/ LinkedIn) 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.
