Migrant Realities
Coromandel Express chugs out for first time since Balasore tragedy, need overrides fear for life
The yearning for livelihood overshadows by far the overhang of disaster. The Coromandel was about to chug out of Shalimar for the first time since Friday night, when at least 288 of the train’s passengers were killed in Balasore in Odisha. Most of those waiting in the queues were men from the districts of Bengal, headed south to work as masons, construction labourers, painters, tailors, or cooks because opportunities at home are scarce. “Peter daay boro daay (Feeding mouths is a big responsibility),” said Md Shimar Ali, who works as a construction worker in Ernakulam, Kerala.
A 'Migrant Train', the Coromandel Express Had Been the Ticket to a Livelihood for Bengal's Poorest
Gloom hangs over the South 24 Parganas district, which has witnessed the highest number of casualties resulting from the Odisha train clash. As of evening on June 4, the district administration confirmed the deaths of 27 individuals, with the majority coming from the Sundarbans region. Additionally, 19 people remain missing, while 103 others have sustained injuries.
Migrants’ ride: Long-distance trains like Coromandel Express are especially vital, they carry millions travelling for jobs
In 2017, GoI’s annual economic survey sprung a surprise. For long, the debate on migration within the country was headlined by the puzzling phenomenon that it was rather slow-paced. The decennial census, which represents a snapshot at the end of every decade, didn’t quite capture what was happening. The economic survey used unreserved railway travel as a proxy for economic migration between 2011 and 2016 and concluded that annual average inter-state migration was close to nine million, way more than what the census had captured.
Mamata Banerjee to visit Odisha, West Bengal first to give jobs to victims' kin
Bengal also became the first state to announce jobs for relatives of those killed or maimed in the Balasore accident, with Banerjee announcing a special home guard posting for a family member each. Banerjee said Bengal's death toll in the train accident had touched 90, with 73 bodies brought back. "A hundred and twenty victims are yet to be identified," she said, adding the state government would bear the cremation and burial costs.
Train accident: Migrant workers' body demands judicial probe, compensation
The West Bengal Migrant Workers Union on Tuesday has demanded a judicial probe into the derailment of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel train near Bahanaga railway station in Odisha's Balasore district.
TMC ‘Diverts’ Construction Worker Welfare Fund to Help Odisha Train Crash Victims
The West Bengal (WB) government has allegedly diverted funds from the Construction Workers’ Welfare Fund's (CWWF) West Bengal unit to help Balasore train crash victims and their families from the state. According to the TMC government, 103 dead passengers were from West Bengal and about 206 passengers are being treated in different state hospitals. However, the Construction Workers Federation of India's (CWFI) West Bengal chapter's president, Debanjan Chakraborty, has alleged diversion of funds and has threatened to go to court.
In the Courts
Supreme Court Refuses To Stay CBI Probe In WB Teacher Recruitment Scam, But Stays Removal Of Board President & Cancellation Of 269 Appointments
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stay the order passed by the Calcutta High Court for a CBI investigation into the scam relating to the appointment of primary school teachers in the State of West Bengal.
HC seeks answers from Centre, State on failure to pay MGNREGA wages in West Bengal
In March 2022, the Centre informed WB that no further funds would be released till it complied with Central directives regarding inquiry reports; “Separate chaff from grain,” HC tells Centre. Noting that the 2005 Act was aimed at enhancing livelihoods in rural areas, a Division Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya observed that the “object of the scheme has to be fulfilled by concerned authorities”.
MGNREGA workers in West Bengal hit streets, demand payment of pending wages
Wages amounting to ₹2,800 crore are pending with the Centre
AI and Jobs
Gravitas: Indian workers worried that AI will take away their jobs
Studies show that 76% of Indian workers are worried that AI will take away their jobs. Reports say that women are the most threatened by AI in the workspace. Will AI steal our jobs?
Indian employees caught in an AI conundrum
Microsoft's Work Trend Index 2023 found that while 74 per cent of Indian employees are worried about AI replacing their jobs, 83 per cent would delegate as much work to it as possible, to help lessen their workloads. More than three in four Indian workers would be comfortable using AI not just for administrative tasks (86 per cent), but also for analytical work (88 per cent), and for the creative aspects of their role (87 per cent).
News from States
ASHAs and ANMs in Telangana to get paid maternity leave
The Minister also directed Health Secretary Rizvi and Family Welfare Commissioner Shweta Mahanthi to conduct a comprehensive study on the implementation of maternity leave with pay for ASHAs and second ANMs. Minister Harish Rao said that the government has taken significant steps to improve their remuneration. Currently, ASHAs in Telangana receive a monthly salary of Rs. 9,750, which is considerably higher compared to their counterparts in BJP- and Congress-governed states who receive only Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 5,000 per month. This development was aimed at recognizing the invaluable contribution of ASHAs and ANMs in the healthcare sector.
Rajasthan government introduces advance salary privilege, sets precedent in India
The Rajasthan government has launched an earned salary advance drawal scheme, allowing state government employees to access their salaries in advance. Rajasthan has become the first state in India to implement this progressive initiative, effective from June 1. Under the new scheme, state employees can request multiple advances within a month, up to a maximum of 50 per cent of their net monthly salary. Notably, these advances are interest-free, offering significant financial relief to employees. If an employee opts for an advance salary before the 21st of the month, the corresponding amount will be deducted from their subsequent salary, ensuring a streamlined recovery process.
Kerala govt approves ordinance safeguarding health service workers
The state approved the Kerala Health Care Service Workers and Health Care Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Amendment Ordinance, 2012 The existing unamended law covered registered and provisionally registered medical practitioners, registered nurses, medical students, nursing students and paramedical staff working in healthcare institutions, it said. Under the ordinance, the protection under the law would be extended to paramedical students, paramedical staff, security guards, managerial staff, ambulance drivers, helpers who are posted and working in health care institutions and health workers notified in the official government gazette from time to time will also be covered in the ordinance.
Workplace mishaps, lack of compensation blot on Kerala’s migrant-worker-friendly image
Employers and contractors often hastily send injured labourers back to their home state. Only a handful stay back and fight their case, while others lack awareness about their legal rights and return home empty-handed.
Punjab government holds placement drive today offering 10,000 job opportunities
Punjab employment generation, skill development and training department is organising a pan Punjab placement drive, known as Rozgar Mela, on June 7. The drive aims to provide over 10,000 job opportunities to job seekers across various districts. The salary range for these positions will vary from Rs 8,000 to Rs 60,000.
Skilling
Air India launches Gurukul.AI; learning platform with 70,000+ cutting-edge tools
Air India has elevated its learning initiatives with the launch of Gurukul.AI. This new platform provides a wide array of over 70,000 cutting-edge learning tools, marking a significant milestone in the airline’s learning journey. Gurukul.AI offers a comprehensive suite of advanced resources, catering to the diverse learning needs of Air India employees.
Tailpiece
Odisha villages claim their rights to use forest products and earn revenue from cashew
The villages of Kodalpalli and Sinduria in Odisha, received Community Forest Rights over 282.67 hectares of the Sulia reserve forest in November 2021. Today, the villages earn half their annual income from the cashew grown in the forest areas, whereas it was once auctioned by the Odisha State Cashew Development Corporation Ltd. Kodalpalli and Sinduria have now constituted their own cashew committees and laid down an auction plan for the collection and sale of cashews.
Mobilising Workers
Truce Between Bellsonica Workers, Management; Suspended Employees to be Reinstated
The management and the union have been at loggerheads for the past two years over retrenchment and enforcement of labour laws. But from May 4, 2023, the union started day and night strikes and successive hunger strikes. On June 1, at noon, an agreement was reached between the union and the management under 12(3) of the Industrial Disputes Act (1948) with written conditions. After that, the striking permanent workers called off the tool down strike and returned to work in shift 'B' the same afternoon.
More than 2500 NTC workers protest for unpaid salaries
Over 2,500 workers of the National Textiles Corporation (NTC) in Mumbai have been on strike since June 1, demanding payment for the past eight months of unpaid salaries. These workers, including both office and mill employees, are facing severe financial hardships, struggling to support their families and meet basic needs such as buying groceries and paying bills. They have also been denied medical benefits, and their gratuities have been blocked since 2020.