The Human Rights Forum, through a letter addressed to the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Employment Training & Factories, and Director of Labour department, sought to highlight the plight of inter-State migrant workers at construction sites in Hyderabad.
Fact finding studies revealed that construction companies employing migrant labourers from States such as Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, have not been adhering to the provisions of the Interstate Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979.
The studies noted that workforce for high rise projects is procured through contractors. The labourers are kept in labour camps built on site. The workers do not receive wages as per the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and contractors do not maintain passbooks in the language that the workers can understand, mentioning joining date and wages, as per the Migrant Workmen Act.
Provision of potable water, sufficient number of toilets and other facilities as stipulated by the Sections 39, 40 and 45 are not observed.
Section 41 of the Act rules that if the work is to be continued for more than six months, it is the duty of the contractor or the employer to establish and maintain a canteen for the workers’ benefit. No such facility is being provided, and in many camps, the workers have to go out and buy groceries and other items to cook food in the living space provided for them.
As per the Section 44, if the work is to go on for over three months, it is the duty of the contractor or the employer to set up a crèche for the children of the workers who are below six years of age. Nowhere in the city is such facility available at the construction sites.
Reports suggest that many labour camps lack proper sanitation, hygiene facilities, clean drinking water and adequate ventilation. Additionally, concerns have been raised about insufficient medical care, poor quality food, and unsafe working conditions, the letter said.
Noting that all these violations are taking place due to the lack of supervision and regular inspections from the Labour Department, the letter cited information obtained under RTI, to say that no officer ever inspected the premises of the construction, to check the records as per the provisions of the Act.
These violations are detrimental to human rights and labour rights, the forum noted. Migrant workers are particularly vulnerable for exploitation due to the lack of familiarity with local laws and their dependence on the companies for basic necessities, the letter said, and requested the authorities to appoint inspectors to check if all the migrant labourers are receiving their due rights and entitlements according to the Act
Further, the letter sought strict enforcement of existing labour laws and access to basic amenities, awareness programmes for construction companies and migrant labourers, and establishment of grievance redressal mechanis.
Human Rights Forum is a non-funded, non-political organisation comprising voluntary members in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
