Dying at Work
Toxic gas kills two Bihar workers in Gujarat factory; second incident in 15 days
The state government data says, about 700 workers have died and 213 were injured in the 587 industrial accidents that occurred in Gujarat over the last three fiscal years.
Employment News
Delhi’s unemployment rate higher than national average, finds govt. report
The unemployment rate (UR) in Delhi was higher than the national average for 2021-22, according to a Delhi government report… The report, ‘Women & Men in Delhi-2023’, showed that the national capital’s UR was 5.1% for men and 6% for women, higher than the national average of 4.4% for men and 3.3% for women. It stated that the city’s population is likely to reach 2.65 crore by 2036 while noting an improvement in its sex ratio, which remains below the national average.
Kerala elderly rely on MGNREGS, younger workers opt for higher paying labour: data
High daily wages for younger unskilled workers in Kerala has meant the state has the highest percentage of elderly workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). According to official data, 28.47 per cent of those employed under the scheme this fiscal year in Kerala are in the age group of 61-80 years, while only 1.41 per cent are in the 18-30 age group. More than 85 per cent of MGNREGS workers in the state are above 40.
Job creation single most important pressure point: Rajan
New Delhi: Indian economy, dubbed the fastest growing major economy in the world, is faced with the single most important pressure point of job creation, says former RBI Governor Raghuram G Ranjan as he makes a strong case for improvement of human capital through skill development. "Jobs is the single most important pressure point... If we had many more private sector jobs showing up, would there be so much pressure on reservations? Perhaps there'll be less so to some extent," he said, regretting that states are trying to reserve jobs for their residents, which is a worrisome trend.
Govt gives appointment letters to nurses, medical teachers
In a testimony to transparency in recruitment process, a massive function was organised in which appointment letters were given to the new appointees in the Health Department, including assistant professors. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led the function in Lucknow while public representatives distributed the appointment letters in districts. On Tuesday, appointment letters were given to 278 assistant professors, 2,142 staff nurses and 48 AYUSH teachers.
TeamLease Employment Outlook report
The report aims to (1) measure Intent to Hire across the country, by city and sector: Indian employers display healthy hiring intent of 27% - up 6% from the previous quarter - a balance tempering optimism with caution. (2) Track Intent to Hire by geography, business size and hierarchy: Hiring Intent incrementally picking up in rural catchments is contrary to the steady lull this geography usually displays. (3) Identify key drivers of hiring sentiment, by sector: Business response to the series of unlocks has been unfettered, and the hiring sentiment has seen significant improvement since the unlock period.
In the Courts
How Many Women Promoted In Navy After Permanent Commission? Not Possible That None Was Competent : Supreme Court Asks Navy
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (December 13) asked Attorney General for India R Venkataramani about the status of promotion of Women Navy Officers who have been granted permanent commission pursuant to the 2020 decision in Union of India v. Lt Cdr Annie Nagaraja and others. The CJI asked, “After our judgement, how many women have been promoted Mr AG? How many women have been promoted in the navy? It can't be that no single woman was competent.” The AG replied that it may be just one promotion so far, while adding that he will revert after taking specific instructions.
Mere Adoption Of Govt Service Rules By Autonomous Bodies Doesn't Grant Their Staff Same Benefits As Govt Employees: Allahabad HC
The Allahabad High Court has held that the mere adoption of government service rules by autonomous bodies does not confer the same rights on the employees of the autonomous body as those available to the government employees.
Migrant Tragedies
In Kashmir’s Pulwama, a Teacher Facilitates the Return of Migrant Workers' Bodies to Their Families
“I got a call from the police in Kashmir that my brother had died, but there was no document to confirm that it was, by all possibilities, my own brother. With this, Faisal [Parray] sir reached out to me. He helped me understand the ways in which we could ascertain my brother’s identity,” Raza told The Wire. Since 2022, Faisal Parray has voluntarily assisted in facilitating the return of at least 20 migrants who died in the valley, back home.
The Gig Economy
EU deal: some app drivers may get employee benefit
European Union negotiators backed a deal to reclassify millions of people working for ride-hailing and food-delivery apps as employees in a set of rules that could cost the industry billions of euros each year.
Livelihoods
Pandemic-hit Villagers Revive Bamboo Craft With NGO Help in MP Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh:
Bamboo crafts bring down migration, improve access to nutrition and education, and raise the morale of residents from Korku community in Gulaimal village of Khandwa. Living in the remote forest village of Gulaimal in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, Prakash Barole (41) crafts decorative items from bamboo to earn a living. He acquired this relatively new skill after making up his mind to stop working as a migrant sugarcane cutter and find employment in his village.
Labour in Parliament
Net new women EPFO subscribers addition rises to 28.69 lakh in FY23
The EPFO saw a significant rise in new women subscribers, recording 28.7 lakh additions in FY23 compared to 15.9 lakh in 2019-20, indicating increased formal job creation despite the pandemic. Minister of State for Labour & Employment Rameshwar Teli highlighted this as an indicator of job market formalization, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
Job cards of over 5.48 crore MGNREGA workers deleted in 2022-23, govt tells Lok Sabha
Over 5.48 crore job cards under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act were deleted in 2022-23, a 267 per cent jump from the previous fiscal, the Union rural development ministry informed the Lok Sabha...Minister of state for rural development Sadhvi vi Niranjan Jyoti said West Bengal saw the highest number of MGNREGA job cards being deleted at 83,43,469, which is 5,203 per cent more than 2021-22 when 1,57,309 job cards were deleted.
Travails of Fisherfolk
When my boat strayed into Pakistan
Bharat Majethia was jailed for three years in Karachi when his fishing vessel crossed the international maritime boundary. Back in his village in Gujarat, the 32-year-old tells his story to DH.
Despair over Jobs
Parliament Security Breach | "Qualified, Jobless, Stressed": Mother Of Attacker Neelam Reveals
On the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, a major security breach sent shockwaves across country. While two intruders jumped in LS from visitors’ gallery, Neelam and Amol were detained from outside the Parliament with gas canisters. Both were detained in front of Transport Bhawan and were not carrying mobile phones or any ID.
Joblessness takes centre stage amid Parliament security breach: What data says about India's unemployment
As the security breach at Parliament gathered attention this week, the incident also turned the spotlight on the issue of unemployment in India. According to reports, six people accused of the security breach were at Parliament to protest against several issues, including unemployment. But In a written reply in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session 2023 on December 11, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Rameswar Teli shared data to substantiate that "the unemployment rate in the country has a declining trend over the years."
Battles Won
Bihar: Anganwadi Workers end 71-day Strike After CM’s Assurance on 5-Point Demands
Patna: Thousands of anganwadi sevikas and sahayikas (helpers) in Bihar ended their 71-day indefinite strike following assurances by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on fulfilling their demands. They will return to work on Saturday (December 9). The protestors’ main demands include an increase in monthly honorarium and government employee status for them.