National Policy on Migrant Labour - Needed

What is the issue?

• Insecurities (job, income and food) coupled with a fear psychosis forced migrant workers to reverse migrate to their homes.
• There is a need for a national policy on migrant labour to protect the interests of the migrant workers.

What is the condition of migrant workers?

• The migrant workers account for 20% of the total workforce.
• They are said to be responsible for 10% of GDP.
• But, they are paid less and are denied formal contracts even though they work harder and put in longer hours.
• They are not given gratuity or medical benefits and are not entitled to any leave with pay.
• When at work, they do not have adequate occupational safety.
• Out of work, they lack a social safety net.
• They lack political support as they are disenfranchised (they rarely get an opportunity to cast their vote).
• The local population hates them as they are seen as job-stealers.

Why do they still migrate?

• Even under the above circumstances, they continue to migrate for work.
• This is because they earn much more than what they can back home.
• Despite the relatively poor pay, they manage to save and wire money back home to supplement the family’s income.
• But the traumatic experience they were subjected to post-lockdown would deter them from migrating in search of work again.

What is the current reality?

• With lockdown easing across the country and manufacturing picking up pace, industry is beginning to miss the migrant workers.
• Some companies in host States have already sent buses all the way to Odisha, UP and other home States to fetch the workers.
• Migrant workers, on their part, have realised that there is no way they can earn enough staying back in their villages.
• The demand for jobs under MGNREGS is far more than what is being offered.

• The migrant workers’ return is critical for the country’s rapid economic revival post-Covid.
• But, it is only fair that when they do come back, they are treated with the respect they deserve.

What is the existing legislation?

• Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 is a law to prevent exploitation of migrant labour.
• It calls for registration of all establishments employing migrant labour and licensing of contractors.
• Contractors are mandated to provide details of immigrant labour they have deployed to the relevant authority.
• They should also ensure regular payment, suitable accommodation, no discrimination, free medical facilities and protective clothings.

• There is a reason why this law has remained just on paper.
• It is onerous to implement and makes the cost of hiring a migrant labour more than a local.
• Yet another case of an over-enthusiastic bureaucrat defeating the very purpose for which the law was made.

How would a policy protect the migrant workers’ interests?

• The national policy should ensure that a migrant worker’s economic, social and political rights are protected.
• They should not be discriminated against when it comes to pay and other benefits that regular workers get.

• They should be registered and given an ID which can be linked to their Aadhaar and Jan Dhan account.
• Once this is done, the government can use direct benefit transfer to send their benefits.

• The Government’s plan to have a one nation-one ration card will help them source their entitlements from whereever they are based.
• Similarly, their voter ID card has to be made portable.

• The policy should also ensure that contractors and the employers are made accountable when they employ migrants.
• Efforts should be made to skill/re-skill the labourers and a national registry created for them based on their skills.

What could be done further?

• Home States like Uttar Pradesh should discuss with host States like Maharashtra about the safety of migrant workers.

• A smarter way is to start economically developing the home States and creating local employment.
• If they do so, supply of workers to host States will reduce and employers will be forced to treat them better.

Source: Business Line