Migrant work force on rise: Study

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The migrant population in the state is being viewed upon with increased suspicion. Incidents like Jisha murder have not helped their cause. If the perceived fears about migrant population are true, then the capital district has much to fear. A recent study carried out by the labour department has estimated that 35.18 percent of those employed in establishments in the capital are migrant labour. (Their presence in other major cities is yet to be studied.) However, the study also stressed, citing poor working conditions, that migrants were a persecuted lot.

The highest proportion of migrants are found in hotels and restaurants (54.29 percent) followed by groceries (40 percent). At 39.98 percent, bakeries and sweet stalls come third. The group of establishments consisting of sawmills, hire shop, shops selling spices, bore well service, cement shops, tile shops and gas agency, report the proportion of migrant workers at 36.63 percent.

“West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand account for nearly 71 percent of the total migrant labour in Thiruvananthapuram,” the study notes. About 19 percent of the migrant labour are from Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. And the rest are from Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Manipur, and Nepal. The migrants from West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are seen in almost all sectors. However, the Tamil migrant workers are seen only in few bakeries, tea stalls, and textiles.

The Manipuri migrant workers are seen in beauty parlours and Nepali migrants in hotels and Gujaratis in tailoring. “Migrant labourers work long hours and are dedicated and sincere; they put in long hours and are ready to do overtime,” the study notes. The normal working day ranges between 8 to 14 hours depending upon the sector, location and type of contract. “But they are  denied social security benefits,” the study adds.