Creating Equitable Spaces

Labour Pillar

Labour Pillar

Covid 19 pandemic made the social sector realized that migrant workers in the industrial zones remained invisible for any type of interventions by the sector. Other than the trade unions and directly working with labourers the inequalities and vulnerabilities of labour force didn’t occupy centre stage on the social transformation platform. Maharashtra has a large number of industrial migrant workers living inside the factories’ premises and in the labour colonies nearby. The range of inequalities and injustice experienced by these migrant workers is massive. It requires both in the community and with the industry engagement on labour rights. Labour Pillar is such initiative of ECONET generally undertaken in partnership with Social Compact (consortium of industrial houses and CSRs to change the conditions of work force in the industry).   

Worker Facilitation Centre (Industrial Migrant Workers)

ECONET in collaboration with Ajeevika Bureau and Social Compact started a Worker Facilitation Centre at Kudus in Wada block of Palghar district. The Worker Facilitation Centre aims to address the daily problems, documentation, access to entitlements, safety at work place, women workers entitlements and labour entitlements related cases. Worker Facilitation Centre is supported by Blue Star. The primary constituency of the centre is industrial migrant workers, which are in a large number in the 11 labour colonies and 20 plus villages that the team has reached out. The key issues observed have been Safe and hygienic accommodation, Working Conditions, safety and security as well as terms of employment, Access to medical care and health services, Fair wages and timely payment, Communication facilities to stay in touch with family, Access to social services and community support, Social security and insurance benefits, and Emotional support and counseling. Worker Facilitation is hosted by ECONET, while the strategic and handholding support is provided by Ajeevika. Social Compact enables the partners and team at the Worker Facilitation Centre to look at the larger issues of migrant labour both interstate and intra state. Apart from the industrial workers from the different MIDC sites in and around Wada, the team at Kudus has reached out to brick kiln workers, domestic workers, Building and Construction workers, Fruit and Vegetable vendors, workers at the shops and many others who earns their monthly income through daily wages. Worker Facilitation Centre is led by a Centre Coordinator who is supported by Community Mobilisers and a full time volunteer.

Entitlement Facilitation Centre (Unorganised workers)

Post Covid the vulnerabilities of a migrant worker – interstate or intra increased at multifold level. Many had returned back during the lockdown to their hometowns, but as the situation normalized, the flow of interstate & intra state migrant workers begun at a higher pace. Mahad is one of the locations where in the coastal Maharashtra industrial Development Corporation is making sure that the coastal districts no longer remain economically uneven compared to other regions of the State. ECONET in collaboration with IDEAL-Centre for Social Justice and Social Compact established an Entitlement Facilitation Centre in Mahad town. The centre is led by a team of enthusiastic women comprised of a Centre Head, Facilitator and volunteers. The number of migrant workers from the outside States has not increased but the local workers mostly employed on contract basis in the chemical and other high risk zone factories are provided services by the Mahad Entitlements Facilitation Centre. Domestic workers and Workers in the building & construction industry are the key target audience. Apart from the issues of health and access to health care & government schemes, documentation in terms of Aadhar Update, EShram Card, Pan card, BOCW registration and many other services are provided by the team through service camps and at the office.

Creating Equitable Spaces

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