Amid shortage of work force, mainly because labourers had migrated to their native places, several industries are finding it tough to get back on track in Punjab and Haryana.
With the easing of the lockdown restrictions, several industry owners are making efforts to bring back the labour force by facilitating their travel, offering hike in wages along with free accommodation and food, yet many migrant labourers are unwilling to come back as the pandemic fear looms.
Lockdown displaces lakhs of migrants
“We are facing acute shortage of labour. Most of the labourers associated with us are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. On an average we need 50 labourers for efficient work in one rice mill (sheller). Close to 800 mills across Haryana are operating currently, but almost all are finding it difficult to manage day to day working. The work that should be completed in one week is taking nearly a month. Besides, the local labour rates have spiked by around 10%,” Jagdish Rai, vice-president, All India Rice Millers and Dealers Association, told The Hindu .
“We are in touch with migrant labourers but most of them are not willing to come back.”
Jitender Malik, chief patron at the Carpet Manufacturers Association in Haryana, said till the migrant labourers come back in full strength it would be difficult to revive the work. “We are dependent on the workers who are experts in operating pit-looms and most of them are from West Bengal. Many of us are facilitating their travel through buses.”
Yoked together, migrant workers and farmers are back in Punjab’s fields
R.K. Gupta, president of the Haryana-based Footwear Park Association, said poor demand for products had also hit the industry. “It has dropped to around 30%-40% of the usual demand for footwear at this time of the year. The purchasing power has gone down and people are spending only on essential commodities. Unless demand is revived, businesses will not pick-up,” he said.
In Punjab the small, medium and large industries primarily in textiles, woollen and synthetic fabrics are also facing the problem. Industry players are urging them to return by offering better pay scales and other incentives besides compensating for rail and bus fares.
Director of the Rice Millers Association Ashok Sethi has asked the State government to arrange transport to bring labourers back on priority so that industrial units could be run efficiently.
Punjab revenues fall to ₹396 crore against an estimated ₹3,360 crore
“The government must immediately devise a plan so that factories get adequate labour strength to make up for the time lost due to the lockdown and resultant disruption in the production. At present, many industries are running at about 35% to 40% of their capacities,” he said.
