Wooing workers back

The lockdown imposed in March-end triggered the exodus of migrant labourers to their home states. Resultantly, when the ‘unlock’ began on June 1, it threw up a new challenge. Aggravating the situation was the fast-changing and differing rules for various states regarding Covid-induced travel protocol and restrictions as well as quarantine for travellers. Chaos and confusion prevailed. Industrialists, whose businesses had come to a grinding halt, were eager to get going and cut further losses. But the nod to resume work meant little as they found themselves short of the key element necessary to rev up industrial activity: the labour force. Having incurred huge losses during the lockdown, they were ready to bend over backwards to woo the workers back. While Punjab’s farmers offered three-fold wages to labour for paddy-sowing, some industrialists of Karnal found it prudent to airlift their trained employees. Pulling out all the stops, many others all over the country sent buses, rail and air tickets to bring back workers and even revised their salaries and offered safer and better work environments.

These mainly individual-driven exercises again exposed the government authorities’ lack of preparedness. Even as the importance of reviving the economy and bringing it back on track was felt by the state and Central governments, coordinated efforts to smoothen the return of the migrants were missing. It was only after mid-June that a couple of special trains carrying a few hundred farm hands chugged into Punjab. In most cases, the landlords had paid for their tickets. Considering that lakhs of labourers are required in a season, there is much to be done. Kerala, with its health insurance scheme and housing complexes for guest workers, once again proved to be ahead of all other states.

The Central government has announced a time-bound Rs 50,000-crore scheme (PM Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan) to provide livelihood opportunities for four months to migrants who went back home during the lockdown in six states. The other states — that are in need of a reverse migration of workers — would do well to make coordinated efforts to lure the workers back.

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