AI and Jobs
AI Governance must involve labour unions
Ever since ChatGPT arrived in our midst, it has generated fear and euphoria in equal measure. Some believe that it is a harbinger of a glorious future where Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-driven machines will relieve the drudgery of our lives, boosting productivity and incomes. Others fear that AI-driven machines will replace human workers en masse, creating wealth for a small set of Big Tech firms.
Exporting Workers
Israel, India ink agreement to allow 42,000 Indian workers to work in Jewish state
Israel and India inked an agreement last month that will allow 42,000 Indian workers to work in the Jewish state in the fields of construction and nursing, a move expected to help deal with the rising cost of living and assist thousands of families waiting for nursing care.
In the Courts
Supreme Court Stays Delhi HC Order Which Allowed Bike-Taxi Operations Of Rapido, Uber In Delhi
In the plea before the Apex Court, the Delhi Government had argued that owing to the High Court’s interim order, Uber and Rapido are continuing the use of non-transport vehicles including two-wheelers for the purpose of aggregation and ride pooling, which is impermissible under the Motor Vehicles Act read with the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2020 without obtaining valid permits. Senior Advocate, Neeraj Kishan Kaul appearing on behalf of Uber countered Delhi Government’s contention and argued that there is no such prohibition under the statute.
High Court rules dismissal of employee in jail without fair hearing as illegal
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stated that it is illegal to dismiss employees who are unable to defend themselves in departmental proceedings due to being confined in jail for a criminal case. The court emphasised that the opportunity given to a delinquent should not be a mere formality, but reasonable and adequate. It stressed importance of due process.
News from States
MP govt to hike monthly honorarium of anganwadi workers to Rs 13,000
Months ahead of Assembly polls, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the monthly honorarium of anganwadi workers will be raised by Rs 3,000 to Rs 13,000. Addressing a convention here, Chouhan said anganwadi workers will also benefit from Rs 1,000 being transferred to the accounts of 1.25 crore women under the newly-launched Ladli Behna scheme. Apart from this, the honorarium for mini anganwadi workers has also been increased to Rs 6,500 per month, he said.
Parental leave for single male Karnataka govt staff
BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Friday allowed parental leave facilities for single male parents employed in the government sector with immediate effect. Close on the heels of extending six months of parental leave for woman employees, the state government had received multi ple representations to extend the same facility for single male parents.
Cabinet okays regularisation of 14k teachers, Punjab to get 1,880 new doctors & nurses
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Saturday said that the state will regularise14,239 teachers who have been working under the education department for 10 or more years but are still on contract. The CM also said that at least 1880 new doctors and nurses will soon be hired.
Vanishing PF Funds, Deplorable Conditions: Plight of Sanitation Workers in Jamshedpur
Bhagat Singh's 'Satyagraha aur Hadtaalein' highlights the workers'rebellion in the steel city; 95 years later, the condition of safai karamcharis remains appalling. Ramesh, a middle-aged man from Jamshedpur who works as a safai karamchari in a private bank, narrates the conditions of workers who toil under the same roof as the officers. "I have been receiving the same salary for the past eight years. Without me, the bank wouldn't be able to function even for a day; yet, my condition is the worst."
Salary delays hit 15,000 Himachal Pradesh government staff
The delay is affecting employees from various departments, including the forest department, medical colleges and state transport department. Their salaries which were earlier deposited in their accounts by the first week of every month have not been credited even after two weeks. The fact that the state government is facing a scarcity of funds is only adding to the anxiety of the employees.
Despair over Jobs
Another diamond polisher ends life in Surat due to financial woes, third in a week
Paresh Mahadik, 40, a resident of Trikam Nagar society in Varachha, was found dead by his wife when she returned from her parents' house on Sunday. According to the Varachha police he had been a diamond polisher for the last 15 years and worked at a diamond factory in Kapodara. However, they said he had been jobless for the last two months.
Over 25 artisans committed suicide in a year in Surat following recession in diamond industry
Due to recession in the diamond industry, many factories have not increased the wages of diamond artisans while many are terminating workers and going for salary cuts. Over 25 artisans committed suicide in a year in Surat following recession in diamond industry. On June 2 a major Surat based diamond company terminated around 40 jewellers who were working around 15-20 years.
Women in the Workforce
Ambikapur’s women-led waste management system also generates revenue for the city
Ambikapur, a city in Chhattisgarh, created its own decentralised waste management plan that not only minimises waste that reaches a landfill site, but also generates revenue for the local municipal corporation that supports several jobs. A group of 470 women, plays a significant role in the day-to-day waste collection, segregation and management. These women, hired through the National Urban Livelihood Mission, view the waste not as a liability but as a resource.
More women logging out of tech jobs amid return-to-office call
Attrition of women has doubled compared with that of men in India’s technology industry since December, as more companies started insisting that employees return to office, show data sourced from recruiters and exit interview firms. Female employee attrition has reached as high as 30-40% in recent months, compared with the standard sector attrition levels of around 15%, suggest data from InCruiter, a provider of exit interview services. Women in mid-career roles (aged 30-40 years) are the ones leaving the most, as they tend to deal with a disproportionate share of childcare and domestic responsibilities.
Tailpiece
Arikompan fears keep workers away from rubber estates in Kanyakumari
Workers stayed away from rubber estates and other private farms in Kanniyakumari district, apprehensive of the movement of Arikompan, the lone elephant which was recently tranquillised and shifted from Cumbum in Theni district to the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Revenue Department officials have appealed to the workers to carry on their routine as Forest Department officials are monitoring the elephant.
Layoffs and Hirings
Byju’s to Lay Off at Least 1,000 More Employees: Report
In January, the startup let go of 5,000 people across verticals, the Morning Context had reported.
Hiring cools in small cities as talent swells in top metros
Recruitments in India’s smaller cities have plunged from the previous year’s levels, executives in the recruitment industry said, as the availability of qualified talent rises in the metros. The worst decline has been in the IT and outsourcing, manufacturing and engineering, and consumer sectors, they said.
Candidates dilute resumes as job market tightens
MUMBAI : Job hunters are playing down their skills and experience to match the required role, even if it means accepting lower designation and pay, at a time the job market is turning tight. Multiple executives from recruitment firms said candidates in the junior and middle order in IT, banking, and retail sectors are diluting their resumes and skill sets for jobs in manufacturing and allied industries.
PM Modi distributes 70,000 appointment letters, says 'Rozgar Mela' becoming new identity of BJP govt
Addressing the newly-recruited government employees after distributing appointment letters to over 70,000 people, he said dynastic parties had betrayed the youth by encouraging corruption and nepotism in the recruitment process.
Migrant Tragedies
Injured migrant workers face uncertain future after Balasore train accident
At the surgery ward of the hospital, Ram is a broken man, unable to fathom what the future holds for him as nurses dress his leg. “I can’t think clearly what I am going to do next. I was the only earning member of my family. I had to leave Bihar as there is no way one can earn a livelihood there,” he said. “Now, with an amputated leg, what am I going to do?”
Portion of flyover under construction near NH-48 collapses, worker crushed to death
The victim has been identified as Shakeel from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur, who was operating an earthmover at the site.
Profiles
Son of Dalit labourer clears UPSC, is now ‘IRS Sahab’. ‘Dreaming is a big thing for us’
Muktendra Kumar secured 819th rank in the UPSC exam, making him eligible for an IRS posting. His next goal is IAS. That day, 23 May, a wave of relief washed over Muktendra, the 23-year-old Dalit son of a manual labourer in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district. His first thought was that his sister’s wedding would now be smooth, and the leaking roof could finally be fixed.
The Self-Employed
Transgenders try their hand at setting up enterprises
TRANSMAN Anmol lost his job as a computer instructor with a private company due to discrimination, he says. Transwoman Sanam, a commerce graduate, got tired of being treated with indignity. Like many young educated transgenders, they decided to team up and start their own venture.
In South more women availed loan scheme for street vendors
About 41 per cent of the beneficiaries of the government’s loan scheme for street vendors – PM-SVANidhi (PM Street Vendors’ AtmaNirbhar Nidhi – are women, but southern states fare much better than those in the north. According to data from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, of the total number of beneficiaries (36.33 lakhs) of the scheme in the country, 21.31 lakh are men and 15.02 lakh are women. The scheme also includes 219 beneficiaries of the “others” gender category.