Employment News
Unemployment is now election issue. Can Congress’ Pehli Naukri Pakki apprenticeship swing it?
Finally, we have politics on unemployment. And it is such good news. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge's job guarantee promise queers the pitch for the ruling BJP, which must now scramble to make a competitive offer. No matter who wins, this is good politics.
Top four IT firms report 50,000 fall in headcount over last year
Over the year, the headcount at India’s largest software services firm, TCS, dropped by 10,669. Infosys reported a 24,182 reduction, while Wipro posted a 18,510 fall. At HCLTech, the number increased by 2,486.
China warns overall pressure on employment yet to ease
China still faces structural employment issues and overall pressure on jobs has not eased, the human resources minister said on Saturday, as the slowing economy braces for another record number of college graduates in 2024.
New geotag attendance feature becomes hassle for MGNREGS workers, states flag concerns to Centre
Under the feature, MGNREGS workers must mark attendance from within 10-mt radius of a spot at a geo-tagged worksite. As a result, some of them have to walk back long distances to do so. Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have now flagged their concerns over this new feature to the ministry, ThePrint has learnt.
The Gig Economy
Gig workers suffer from lack of social security regulations—study
A recently published study recommended stronger social security for app-based workers and called on the government to exercise oversight on the fairness of algorithms and mechanisms used by platforms to monitor such workers. It found that over 43% of participants in the study earn less than ₹500 a day or ₹15,000 a month, after deducting all their costs. And 34% earn less than ₹10,000 a month, while 78% of them are spending over 10 hours each day at work.
Caste disparity, fear of violence & no family time — survey puts numbers to gig workers’ troubles
'Prisoners on Wheels?' report surveyed over 10,000 cab drivers & delivery persons on apps across 8 cities. Mental and physical health issues, dissatisfaction with fares also among findings.
Women in the Workforce
Kerala tops chart of highest passport penetration among women in the country
In line with the visible shift in the migration pattern from Kerala of late, women from the southern State hold the highest number of passports issued in the country till 2023, followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Gujarat.
Women Scientists Seek Parity, Some Want Equal Share For Men In Childcare Leave
Women scientists are now seeking parity with men in research and development. Science Minister Jitendra Singh recently told the Rajya Sabha that the overall participation of women as workforce including research, auxiliary and administrative role in R&D establishments is about 18.8%."
LABOUR LOG: Women Almond Workers in Delhi’s Karawal Nagar Demand Higher Wage
In the past week (March 3-9, 2024), a total of 8 workers, mostly young migrant and daily wagers, died while at work across states. The women almond workers, under the banner of Karawal Nagar Mazdoor Union, have been on strike since the past nine days, seeking higher wages for sorting out almonds, according to a press release issued by the union. There has been no hike in rates the past 12 years. Despite the four-fold rise in prices of essentials, the workers are being paid Rs 5,000-6,000/ month, it said.
Odisha govt’s women employees to get 25 days casual leave a year
An official release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said Patnaik took this decision keeping in mind the family responsibilities and various problems of women.
Migrant Realities
Assam: A Land of Lost Youths – A Haunting Reality of Missing Migrant Workers
Joblessness in Assam has been a major social indicator that makes young persons to leave their homes in rural and muffossil areas. This rapid increase of migration of youth leads to several problems like missing and death of migrant workers en-route to big cities in search of a better livelihood. The increased numbers of missing of migrant workers from Assam is really a matter of concern.
8,199 applicants, 219 selected — why Haryana construction workers didn’t qualify for jobs in Israel
Workers from Haryana applied for 10,000 vacancies advertised by state govt for construction work in Israel, but most failed to make it through tests experts from Israel put them through. It was a reflection of the obsolete skills of teachers at ITIs as also of the outdated machinery and equipment utilised at these institutes.
'We're Ill, Being Made to do Heavy Work': Indians Stuck in Russia-Ukraine War
Seven Indian men stuck in Russia-Ukraine war zone plead for help as they face illness and lack of medical treatment.
Research
Stagnant Job Rate, Worse for the Educated: IIM Study
A study by IIM, BITS (Pilani) and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare finds that India is not generating enough jobs. The gender disparity is sticky and while there is a jobs crisis also for unskilled labour, proportionately there are far fewer jobs for the better educated.
Indians Forced To Resort To Low-Paying Self-Employment As Well-Paying Jobs Have Declined: Report
A civic action forum in a recently released report busted several claims made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the years on the status of employment, national minimum floor wage and GDP.
Travails of Fisherfolk
Registered with WB govt, Dalit fishermen ‘unlawfully’ barred from fishing in Ichhamati
Human rights leader Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) has writtten to the Chief Secretary, Govt of West Bengal, that the BSF has imposed “ad hoc and abrupt restriction” on Dalit fishermen to fish in Ichhamati river in North 24 Paraganas district, even as their Bangladeshi counterparts continue to fish in their part of the river on the other side of the international border
Providing Jobs
In Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur, Bihari migrants are the new business bosses. Who do they employ?
Many migrant workers have reinvented themselves as entrepreneur-owners of textile units in Tiruppur, the export hub of Tamil Nadu. They call it ‘Tiruppur ka jadoo’. The same workers who are lampooned with labels such as “paani poori”, “bhaiyya”, and “Hindi-karans” are also generating jobs.
Chennai startup finds a solution for ‘overqualified housewives’. No more motherhood penalty.
Women brilliant in academics and jobs are forced to sit at home after giving birth. So, 30-yr-old Sankari from Chennai created a platform that provides jobs to women paying 'motherhood penalty'. She tapped into her network, used her IT skills, and launched her own job portal, Overqualified Housewives. That was in August 2021. Since then, she has hired five employees, upskilled more than 2,500 women, and helped more than 500 women get jobs in the IT, healthcare and other sectors. Work from home, freelance gigs, and one-time payments are prioritised on her portal, “which promises to act as a catalyst in giving women their power back”.
Benefits for Workers
Children of brick kiln workers benefit from Thane zilla parishad’s doorstep teaching programme
Thane: As many as 196 children of brick kiln workers are being educated under a doorstep teaching programme introduced by the zilla parishad in Maharashtra’s Thane district, an official said. The “Brick to Inn” programme that began last year covered children in the age group of six to 14 years, who accompany their parents to the brick kilns, the CEO of the Thane zilla parishad said.
Tailpiece
Demand for Gen AI courses surge as working professionals rush to keep themselves relevant
Demand for generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) courses has surged about threefold in the past one year with working professionals rushing to make themselves adept in the new technology, said industry executives.
Domestic Workers
Domestic workers are turning hostile in court after alleging torture in Delhi NCR homes
Gurugram saw two harrowing cases of minor girls tortured by employers within a year. The outrage has faded and so has their quest for ‘justice’. Most cases fizzle out after the initial urban middle-class and social media outrage. Meanwhile, regulating this sector with exemplary punishment becomes challenging.