Migrant labour from Odisha working in different industries in Andhra Pradesh have lodged more than 100 complaints with the Labour Department officials in the past five years alleging harassment and seeking help to come out of the clutches of managements and go back to their native places.
The migrant workers, said to be in lakhs, are mostly engaged in aqua units, brick kilns, sand ramps, hotels, and building construction in the State. Many arrive with their families and reportedly often suffer due to poor facilities at workplaces besides facing harassment from managements which do not adhere to the provisions of various laws such as the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979, Minimum Wages Act, 1948, Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 and the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
Some of them are paid meagre wages and are not provided with proper accommodation and toilets at work sites. Their children are denied schooling, and other facilities at units like brick kilns, sand ramps and construction sites, it is said.
“The workers lodged about 110 complaints against managements and owners alleging harassment,” Labour Liaison Officer of Odisha T. Bhagyasri told The Hindu.
“In the last five years, we received complaints of sexual harassment, child rights violation, low wages, detainment, and bonded labour,” Ms. Bhagyasri, who was deployed in A.P. to look after the welfare of the migrant workers, said.
Joint raids
Krishna district Deputy Commissioner of Labour (DCL) M. Srimannarayana said, “Responding to the complaints, the Labour, Revenue and Police department officials conducted joint raids and visited some brick kilns, spinning mills and other units and observed that there was no proper accommodation, toilets and drinking water facilities.”
“Recently, we rescued 24 workers from Odisha from a spinning mill at Gollapalli village near Gudivara, and sent them back as per their request,” the DCL said.
A few Odisha workers allegedly detained in an aqua processing and export unit in West Godavari district had approached then Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, who directed the Collector, SP and the Labour Department officials to inquire into the allegations. They were released immediately and sent back to their native villages.
