Women in the Workforce
First, the River Took Their Land. Then Came the Micro-Finance Companies.
Gorakhpur: On December 14, 30-year-old Aarti, the wife of a migrant labourer trapped in a cycle of debt from micro-finance companies, took her life by consuming poison. The incident took place at Mishrauli village of Sewrahi area in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district. The victim’s family members have filed a complaint with the police against the micro-finance company, accusing it of abetting the suicide…there is a distressing pattern of the same person taking loans from several micro-finance companies at high interest rates. In the case of Aarti, five micro-finance companies had given loans to her for agricultural work and to purchase cattle.
Trafficked, Sold, Abused Then Rescued From Iraq: Punjabi Women Share Their Ordeal
Fake travel agents have become a booming business in Punjab, with woman 'touts' now trying to lure financially weaker women into the trafficking net. Usually, the women are promised jobs as domestic workers in hotels, malls and hospitals in the Gulf nations. However, the reality is that the moment they land in the Gulf, they are sold to some other agents, who either keep them as slaves or force them to join prostitution.
Why domestic workers’ rights remain in limbo
Domestic service, the third largest employment avenue within the informal sector, exists outside state regulation. The drafting of a national policy on domestic work in 2012, in the backdrop of the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s Domestic Workers Convention No. 189, gave much hope to the sector. However, after many drafts, the policy seems to have taken a back seat. India has yet to ratify the ILO convention. And, there is a general reluctance to accept homes as workplaces.
News from States
Tunnel Collapse: Upset Rat-Hole Miners not to Encash Cheques Given by Uttarakhand Govt
Dehradun: The rat-hole miners who played a vital role in the evacuation of 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel have refused to encash the cheques of Rs 50,000 given to them recently by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. They said the chief minister's gesture was "not commensurate" with the role they had played. They said permanent jobs for rat-hole miners who helped in the operation is what they expect from the state government.
Assam bars school teachers from further studies without permission
Guwahati: The Assam government has barred teachers and non-teaching staff working in provincialised secondary schools from studying further or obtaining any degree while in service without prior permission of the competent authorities, an official said on Wednesday. 'Provincialised schools' means those institutes in which the government has taken over all liabilities of a non-government school.
Haryana govt plan to send 10,000 construction workers to Israel draws flak — ‘war-affected area’
India & Israel signed agreement on workers in May & Haryana govt corporation advertised posts last week. While govt says it's trying to help youths find jobs, ex-CM Hooda cites dangers.
The state government has dismissed the criticism, saying that it’s endeavouring to help young people find employment both at home and internationally, and that its initiative is intended to help workers travel safely to take up jobs abroad.
CM Siddaramaiah launches Yuva Nidhi scheme registration; takes a dig at PM
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while launching the registration of candidates for the government’s fifth guarantee Yuva Nidhi scheme, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and said, “The Congress government has successfully launched all its all its five guarantees but the state is not bankrupt as the prime minister stated earlier.” He said that along with financial assistance, the unemployed youth will get free skill training. The scheme runs under a self-declaration process by beneficiaries every month. If a beneficiary gets a job or joins higher education, then they must update the same and the assistance will be discontinued for them. The registration is free of cost.
Punjab Govt Agrees for Jobs and Compensation to Deceased Farmers who Died During Farmers' Struggle
Over 700 farmers died during the struggle led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha against three farm laws. The farmers' bodies in the state have been agitating to provide jobs and compensation to the families.
Governance grinds to halt in Maharashtra’s villages as gram panchayat functionaries go on strike
Mumbai: Governance in Maharashtra’s villages has come to a standstill owing to a three-day statewide strike, the call for which was issued by gram panchayat functionaries. As a result, services including water and power supply, sanitation and data collection have ground to a halt in villages across the state’s 36 districts.
In the Courts
HC directs State to consider enhancing terminal benefits of Anganwadi workers
The High Court of Karnataka has directed the State government to consider increasing the terminal benefits of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers. Disposing of a petition filed by 'Karnataka Rajya Anganvadi Karya Kartheyara Mathu Sahayakiyara Sangha', the HC directed the State to consider their representations within two months.
Employment News
At 7-Month Low, Job Creation in Formal Sector Declined by 16.7% in October: EPFO Data
The number of new jobs created in the formal sector came down to 7,72,084 in October from 9,26, 934 in September.
Working of NREGA in Tamil Nadu
Despite the Ministry of Rural Development not always being helpful, Tamil Nadu has managed the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme better than many other states. But much remains to be done if its benefits are to reach all the gram panchayats in the state in a uniform manner.
People with blood disorders not eligible for reservation in jobs, says Centre
People suffering from blood disorders like thalassemia, haemophilia and sickle cell disease are not eligible for reservation in government jobs under the Persons with Disabilities category, the Social Justice Ministry told Parliament on Tuesday.
Exploited Workers
Labourer at silk factory rescued by Bengaluru City Police; Labour Dept. launches probe
A day after police and officials of the Revenue Department rescued a 24-year-old labourer who was chained at a silk factory in Ramanagara for nine days and forced to work, the Labour Department launched a probe against the factory on Wednesday, December 27. They recorded the statement of 20 workers on working conditions at the factory.
Providing Jobs
More than 60,000 govt jobs in pipeline, says Haryana CM Khattar
Chandigarh: More than 60,000 government jobs are in the pipeline in Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Monday and stressed that the state’s BJP-led dispensation has given employment in a transparent manner and purely on merit during the past nine years. He said advertisements have been released for 3,200 Group A and Group B posts and around 61,000 for Group C and Group D are in the pipeline.
Essential Public Recruitment Can Help Bihar Break Cycle of Poverty
Employment in sectors like education, healthcare and police, not only develop needed human capital for economic growth but is good for human well being. Therefore, in a state like Bihar, which has the lowest human development index (HDI) among Indian states, the case for massively enhancing public employment in these essential areas becomes even more pertinent. There are huge vacancies in these three sectors in the state.
Exporting Workers
Developed nations look to India amid labour crunch
After focusing on migration and mobility pacts, the government is now increasingly eyeing agreements with developed nations to send skilled workers in the construction, farm, and manufacturing sectors. These pacts would be along the lines of the deal signed with Israel earlier this year. Greece has approached India for sending up to 10,000 seasonal agricultural workers, while Italy has sought workers to staff municipal bodies in its emptying towns, people in the know said. Hit by rising labour costs and spiralling inflation, developed nations are facing a major shortage of workers and India has stepped in.
Israel to recruit thousands of Indian construction workers to fill shortage
A team of "selectors" from Israel visited India last week and another senior delegation will leave for India next week to start the process of recruiting thousands of workers to be brought to the country to fill in the acute shortage faced by its construction industry, a senior executive at the Israel Builders Association said on Wednesday.
Labour Laws
State rules against basic ethos, spirit of labour codes, finds Study
The rules framed by various states and union territories under the new labour codes have “too much” divergence...according to a study by a government agency. “An objective analysis of these rules indicates that with respect to many of the aspects, there is too much divergence not only between the central and state/UT rules but also among the state rules. The rules of some of the states/ UTs prima facie seem to go against the basic ethos and spirit of the codes and may defeat the objective sought to be achieved”, says the study by V V Giri National Labour Institute.
Distressed Workers
Around 500 workers of a Dooars tea garden that closed down thrice in two years, forced to migrate
Around 500 workers of a tea garden in the Dooars that closed down at least thrice in the past two years have left the garden and migrated to other states in search of jobs in the past two months. Some more workers are planning to follow them as they are jobless.