No safety net: Migrant laborers walking to workplaces in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada. , Photo Credit: KVS Giri
Migrant workers from Odisha working in various industries in Andhra Pradesh have lodged more than 100 complaints with the labor department officials in the last five years alleging harassment and want to come out of the clutches of the management and return to their native places. Asking for help to leave.
Migrant workers, whose number is said to run into lakhs, are mostly engaged in aqua units, brick kilns, sand ramps, hotels and building construction in the state. Many come with their families and reportedly often suffer due to poor facilities at workplaces, apart from facing harassment from the management under provisions of the Inter-State Migrant Workers Act, 1979, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, similar Remuneration does not comply with the provisions of various laws viz. Act, 1976, the Contract Labor (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 and the Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
Some of them are paid meager wages and are not provided proper accommodation and toilets at the work sites. It is said that their children are denied schooling and other facilities in units like brick kilns, sand ramps and construction sites.
“Workers lodged around 110 complaints alleging harassment against the management and owners,” said T. Bhagyashree, Odisha’s labor liaison officer. Hindu,
Ms. Bhagyasree, posted in Andhra Pradesh for the welfare of migrant workers, said, “In the last five years, we received complaints of sexual harassment, child rights violations, low wages, detention and bonded labour.”
joint raid
Krishna district Deputy Labor Commissioner (DCL) M. Srimannarayana said, “In response to complaints, officials from the labor, revenue and police departments conducted joint raids and visited some brick kilns, spinning mills and other units and found that there was no There was no proper accommodation. , Toilet and drinking water facilities.
“Recently, we rescued 24 workers from Odisha from a spinning mill in Golapalli village near Gudivara and sent them back as per their request,” DCL said.
Some workers from Odisha who were allegedly detained at an aqua processing and export unit in West Godavari district approached the then Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan, who directed the Collector, SP and Labor Department officials to investigate the allegations Was. They were immediately released and sent back to their native villages.