Research
How Much do Agricultural Households Earn from Farming?
The “average farmer” label does not mean much in India when income levels vary greatly across farming families in states. When we put down how much different groups of farmers actually earn, we can then move beyond misleading averages and understand the challenges facing those who till the land.
Employment News
Just 3% of MNREGA job seekers received unemployment allowance, shows central panel report
If a labourer does not find work within 15 days of looking for work, he is entitled to unemployment allowance under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). However, statistics show that in the last five years, 7,124 workers were found to be eligible for unemployment allowance, but only 258 received them. That means that only about 3 per cent of the workers received unemployment allowance in the last five years.
MGNREGA scheme led to decline in gender wage gap in rural India: ILO
“As NREGS was introduced and expanded, the rate of compliance with minimum wage regulations increased, the gap in rural wages between formal salaried workers and casual workers decreased and, similarly, the gender wage gaps in rural areas declined. Alongside other factors, the NREGS programme seems to have played an important role in these positive trends,” the International Labour Organisation (ILO) noted in its latest working paper that looked at the employment and wage disparities between rural and urban areas.
After much delays, process on to fill up 10,000 health posts by month-end
Mumbai: As of November, 48,686 positions out of the approved 65,791 in the state health department have been filled, while 17,105 remain vacant.
Gujarat: Only 32 of 2 Lakh+ Educated Unemployed Got Government Jobs in Two Years
Government data has revealed that 2.38 lakh educated people in Gujarat are unemployed and have registered themselves for employment with various departments. Even more stark is the number that only 32 young people got government jobs in the state in the last two years, The New Indian Express has reported. Of these, 22 were in Ahmedabad, nine in Bhavnagar and one in Gandhinagar.
Firms must display count of Kannadiga staff: Karnataka minister
Karnataka is considering making all multinational companies publicly display the number of Kannadigas employed in their offices and will frame the rules for this measure soon, a state minister said on Wednesday, sparking a controversy with industry bodies and opposition leaders calling it government overreach that will hurt the image of India’s IT capital.
Dying at Work
11 workers charred to death in massive blaze at paint factory in Outer Delhi’s Alipur
Twenty-two fire tenders were deployed to douse the fire, which took around two hours, said officials. The factory was used for manufacturing paint material, added police. The exact reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained, and further investigation is underway, said police.
Delhi inferno: 800 factory fires recorded in city in last 2 years
In the last two years, there have been 800 fire incidents in unauthorised factories in Delhi. No corrective measures have been taken despite accidents. These factories operate without a no-objection certificate and collude with authorities. Fire department data reveals around 400 fire incidents annually…Fifty-four cases of factory fires were reported in Jan this year.
10 dead, 7 injured in explosion at firecracker unit in Tamil Nadu
Chennai: At least 10 people, including four women, were charred to death and seven injured on Saturday when an explosion ripped through a fireworks’ manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district.
Exporting Workers
India, Taiwan sign MoU to bring Indian workers to tide over labour shortage
India and Taiwan on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on migration and mobility that will open the doors for Indian workers to seek employment in the island, currently facing a shortage of workers in areas such as manufacturing, construction and agriculture.
120 Indians facing exploitation in Jordan return with help from US-based organisation
Worker Rights Consortium, an US-based labour rights monitoring organisation facilitated the return of 120 Indian workers who faced exploitation by their employer from Jordan after TNM highlighted their plight.
Endangered Workers
10 coal miners abducted by 'rebels' in Arunachal Pradesh
DIBRUGARH: At least 10 miners were abducted by suspected NSCN (K-YA) and Ulfa (Independent) militants from a coal mine in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh in the early hours of Sunday morning. Ulfa (Independent) is the Paresh Barua-led faction that stayed out of the pact with the Centre last month to disband.
Layoffs and Hirings
Cisco to lay off more than 4,000 employees, here's what the company has to say
The company stated that they will be implementing a restructuring plan on February 14, 2024, in order to realign their organisation and focus on investing in key areas. The statement revealed that the restructuring plan will impact around 5 percent of the company's global workforce.
Farm News
VIDEO: आंदोलन, MSP और किसान, THE RED MIKE EXCLUSIVE, P SAINATH
Journalist P Sainath offers a devastating critique of the government’s response to the farm issue, says the govt proposals have nothing to do with farmer demand. He says this is the first time in the world that a government launched a drone war against its country’s farmers and the media did not play that up. Points out that there has not been a single hour of dedicated discussion in Parliament on this issue.
The farmers’ demand for an MSP law is linked to an environmental crisis. Here’s how
As climate change creates greater uncertainty and impacts the quality of farm produce, farmers say guaranteed support from the government is essential to help them move beyond rice and wheat cultivation. Crop diversification could address the problems caused by intense wheat and rice cultivation but the lack of government support makes it a risky prospect.
The jeera lesson: How Modi government can give farmer MSP, and fulfil its goals
Price assurance for farmers is necessary for promoting crop diversification and also in the enlightened self-interest of consumers.
VIDEO: Farmer Protest 2024: किसानों का विरोध करने वालों को इस वरिष्ठ पत्रकार को सुनना चाहिए |Shambhu Border
Looking back at the handling of farmers’ protests over the years. A veteran journalist’s perspective on MSP and much else.
Labour Demands
LIC unions decline 14% salary raise, saying performance not reflected
The unions have refused the given offer from LIC management, deeming it inadequate in recognising the dedication and commitment of LIC employees to the institution. In the third quarter of the current fiscal year (FY24), LIC reported a substantial 49 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase in net profit, reaching Rs 9,444.42 crore from Rs 6,334.19 crore. During the same quarter, the corporation’s remuneration and welfare expenses for employees surged by nearly 71 per cent to Rs 9,543.68 crore from Rs 5,579.55 crore in Q3.
Consider homes we work in as workplaces, ensure minimum wages: Domestic workers demand law
The National Platform for Domestic Workers (NPDW) held a press conference Monday to raise the demand for a legislation that will cover those who are part of the informal sector, with “specific cover” for domestic workers. Domestic workers who spoke at the event pointed out that they have no legal protection or guaranteed benefits, which makes them more likely to be exploited.
In the Courts
Unfortunate That State Of Rajasthan Has Been Harassing Poor Litigant: Supreme Court Imposes ₹ 10 Lakhs Cost For Filing Frivolous SLP
The Supreme Court came down heavily on the State of Rajasthan for harassing a poor litigant, who was compelled to file repeated litigation in order to get the benefit of the award of the Labour Court. Accordingly, the bench imposed a cost of Rs 10 Lakhs on the State to be paid to the litigant-respondent. The respondent was a part-time labourer who has been litigating for the past 22 years despite the fact that he was extended benefits by the Labour Court in the year 2001 itself.
Why be so patriarchal, SC asks Govt for denying women PC in Coast Guard
New Delhi: Supreme Court on Monday pulled up Centre for its patriarchal approach by not granting permanent commission to women officers in Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and asked why it cannot treat women officers equal to their male counterparts in ICG as being done by the Army, Navy and Air Force. Court was hearing a plea of Priyanka Tyagi who was denied permanent entry into the Coast Guard. In her 14-year stint as a pilot with ICG as a short service appointment officer in the rank of assistant commandant, Tyagi has saved more than 300 lives at sea, logged 4,500 flying hours — highest among men and wo men in the armed forces.
Termination from job because woman got married is coarse case of inequality
Terminating the employment of a woman on the ground that she has got married is a “coarse case of gender discrimination and inequality”, the Supreme Court remarked recently, as it directed the Centre to pay a compensation of ₹60 lakh to a former military nurse who was removed from service under a now-defunct Army order that provided marriage as a ground for such action.
Pay Rs 90 crore EPF dues to ‘powrakarmikas’ in 8 weeks’: Karnataka HC to BBMP
The Karnataka High Court has ordered the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to pay a sum of Rs 90,18,89,719 in EPF dues to ‘powrakarmikas’ (civic workers) in eight weeks. The order was passed on February 7 by a single judge bench consisting of Justice K S Hemalekha in response to a petition by the BBMP Powrakarmika Sangha. The Sangha wanted enforcement of an EPF order of 2017 which had directed BBMP to pay the sum into the EPF accounts. This had not yet been done.
Minority Livelihoods
Religious minorities see sharper loss of regular wage jobs: PLFS data
Share of people working as regular wage employees has seen a greater decline among religious minority groups such as Muslims, Christians and Sikhs, as compared to the majority Hindu population in the last five years, an analysis of the latest annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data shows. Among these minorities, workers belonging to the Muslim community saw the greatest decline between 2018-19 and 2022-23.
'QR Code Shows He's Muslim’ — Online Platforms Leave Vendors, Workers Vulnerable
Muslim vendors and delivery agents have been harassed when their identity is revealed via payment or delivery apps.
Tailpiece
Midnight queue at Kanpur railway station
50 lakh people going to sit in exam to fill 60,000 vacancy.
Contract Workers
Bihar: Thousands of Contractual School Teachers Protest Against Competency Test
The Niyojit Shikshaks ignored the administration’s threat to not join the protest or face legal action and even lose jobs if found absent from duty.