A tragic accident at a luxury car dealership in Kochi has highlighted the dangers of using unskilled labor for tasks requiring technical expertise. On Sunday, Roshan Antony Xavier (36), an employee of the dealership, lost his life when a high-end car worth over ₹4.5 crore being unloaded from a truck lost control and crushed him. The vehicle was being handled by a head-load worker with no technical training.
The incident has brought to the forefront the contentious issue of head-load workers’ unions claiming unloading rights over all vehicles arriving by truck. These workers charge significant fees – an average of ₹4,000 for luxury cars and ₹2,000 for regular ones. Even when dealerships appoint specialist drivers, the casual laborers demand a fee known as ‘nokkukooli’ or ‘gawking wage’.
Unloading luxury vehicles is a complex process that involves connecting the car’s battery and systems before driving it down a ramp provided by the transport company. High-end cars have sophisticated electronics and braking systems that may not be designed for full activation during unloading. Moreover, uneven ramp surfaces often require additional acceleration, making the process risky when handled by untrained personnel.
Dealerships argue that such vehicles should only be unloaded by their in-house technicians who are familiar with the cars’ mechanics and electronic systems. Legally, transporting vehicles from trucks to showrooms requires a trade certificate, and the driving of these vehicles during unloading should be done by the dealership’s staff. However, head-load worker unions have laid claim to this task as well, leading to similar accidents in the past.
Dealers believe that head-load workers should only undertake such critical operations if they possess technical expertise. The damaged vehicle, although repairable to showroom condition, poses significant logistical challenges. The customer who booked it will need to be allotted a replacement, and until insurance and legal matters are resolved, the dealership bears the burden of liability, estimated at around ₹5 crore, for an accident caused by someone else’s negligence.
Tony Thomas, former CIO of Nissan Motors, commented, “Assigning technically demanding tasks to untrained laborers is unacceptable in a state that claims to be progressive. If Kerala wants to be seen as industry-friendly, such outdated and unprofessional practices must come to an end.”
