Jayakumar Ramdass, former President of Southern India Engineering Manufacturers' Association: In the engineering units in Coimbatore, excluding foundries, 10 per cent to 30 per cent of workforce is from the Northern States.
Most of the units have given them photo identity cards. With shortage of local manpower, the industries here have no choice but to employ workers from other States. They are usually employed for works such as loading and material handling.
M. Arumugam, State Vice-President of AITUC:
The employers should issue identity cards to all workers from the Northern States according to the Factories Act.
Facilities to these workers should be improved in all the units here. The workers should not be permitted to stay inside the industry premises after work. Accommodation should be provided for them outside the factory premises so that the workers can relax after the work hours.
K. Vanniya Perumal – Inspector General of Police (West Zone):
Tirupur police have pioneered in preparing a database of the migrant workers. Police are being trained on generating inputs about the migrant workers and their activities as well as antecedents. In addition, police are being trained in tracking, arresting the offenders when they flee to their native place.
If the profiling is foolproof, every migrant worker need not be looked upon with suspicion.
