LABOUR LOG: Women Almond Workers in Delhi’s Karawal Nagar Demand Higher Wage

India has an abysmal record in poor working conditions, poor wages and worker deaths at workplace, more so in what is called the informal or unorganised sector, especially on construction sites, in mines or while cleaning sewage. Most of these workers are migrant contractual workers or daily wagers, who are deprived of social security and other benefits. NewsClick collates some of these stories of protests and deaths in the world of labour in the past one week.

On International Women’s Day on March 8, women almond workers in Delhi’s Karawal Nagar took out a march hailing women’s solidarity and also seeking higher wages for sorting out almonds.

The women almond workers, under the banner of Karawal Nagar Mazdoor Union, have been on strike since the past nine days, seeking higher wages for sorting out almonds, according to a press release issued by the union.

The union claimed that after a strike in 2012, the workers were being paid as little as Rs 2/kilo for sorting almonds. There has been no hike in rates the past 12 years. Despite the four-fold rise in prices of essentials, the workers are being paid Rs 5,000-6,000/ month, it said.

The workers also demanded that labour laws related to minimum wages, working hours, creches and toilet facilities should be strictly implemented.

They are also demanding that the rate of almond sorting be hiked from Rs 2/kilo to Rs 12/kilo, crushing of almonds with machines from Rs 5 to Rs 10, wage payment between the 1st and 15th of each month and a minimum wage of at least Rs 25,000/month. 

UP: Rack Falls on Workers in Greater Noida Warehouse, I Killed

A 28-year-old worker, Manish Singh, died and two others were injured inside a Greater Noida warehouse on March 6, 2024, when a heavy rack fell on them. The warehouse, located in Achcheja village, falls under the Badalpur police station, said reports.

The warehouse, run in a private building, is used by multiple companies to store their documents, the police told Times of India. The rack that fell was loaded with several kilograms of documents.

Gurgaon: Female Daily Wager Dies in South City Building Site

A 21-year-old female construction worker died and three others were injured in Gurgaon’s plush South City-1 as a wall collapsed on March 5, 2024. There were 11 workers engaged in digging at the basement who were allegedly without safety gear, says a report in The Hindustan Times.

The deceased has been identified as Monika Devi from Rajasthan. The site is one Devender Phogat.

The daily wagers were buried under the debris and saved by local residents. The four labourers from Bhilwara in Rajasthan, were identified as Lala Ram alias Lalu, his wife Nirmla alias Lali and two other family members Monika and Sonia, investigators told HT.

Rajasthan: 3 Migrants Labourers Die in Jaipur Construction Site

In yet another accident at a construction site in Jaipur’s Jagatpura area, three migrant labourers died on March 5, 2024, after a huge mound of sand fell on them, said an NDTV report.

The three deceased were identified as Ramjanm Singh (35), Prem Singh (30), both residents of Jharkhand, and Irshad Alam (23), a resident of Bihar.

According to local reports, the incident has sparked a discussion of workers’ safety, especially on construction sites. The local communities and workers’ unions of the area have called for immediate action against those responsible and justice for the dead labourers to avert similar tragedies.

Kashmir: 3 Labourers Working on Old Bridge Swept Away in Uri

On March 4, 2024, at least three labourers, who were working on an abandoned bridge in Uri in Baramulla district, died as after they were swept away in River Jhelum after the old bridge collapsed.

The “missing” labourers were identified Shakeel Ahmad Mir of Kupwara, Bilal Ahmad Reshi of Arizal, Budgam, and Muhammad Aslam Chauhan of Anantnag, according to a report in Greater Kashmir. They were all working as contractual labour.

An official said that the incident occurred during the dismantling of the bridge when the entire structure collapsed.

As per eyewitnesses, the labourers were working despite adverse weather conditions and the elevated water level in River Jhelum following incessant rains. They were working without such safety measures as a result of which they became victims of the mishap.

The official told Greater Kashmir that the authorities recently decided to dismantle the old bridge and a contractor was awarded the contract to dismantle it.

The incident has highlighted the lack of safety gear among the workers while engaged in life-threatening jobs.