Executive Summary

TRAINING NEEDS AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT OF MIGRANT WOMEN WORKERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR OF KERALA

Migration, as a phenomenon, elucidates the movement of people from one region to another coincided with inter, intra and cross border migration making its own implications on the development paradigm of any society or a nation. In the process, migrants are a key part of the informal labour market which is mainly attributed to their relative flexibility, low cost and more domicile (Srivastava, 2019).  Many women in rural India are working in unskilled and semiskilled segments of the unorganised sector, construction. They seem to lead callous life and often do not enjoy equality of status and social justice. However, the studies (Baiju and Shamna,2019; Shamna and Baiju, 2016; Baiju,2015; Srinivasan and Illango, 2012; Mallika,2011; Haan, 2011; Mazumdar,2006) revealed that the female labour market of Kerala has problems including long working hours, low wage rate, poor living conditions, poor health conditions, a dearth in occupational skill development, sexual exploitation, denial of their fundamental rights, lack of awareness, overburdening domestic work and the rising exploitation as compared to the male construction workers.

The dearth of skill and expertise among the women workers, lack awareness on the welfare measures under the labour laws and accessibility problems of the welfare measures have also been highlighted in many studies. The studies also suggest that the Government must enact laws to protect the interest of the female migrant workers, and they must be saved from exploitation and must receive rightful wages and working conditions. The studies recommend that there is the need to conduct awareness campaigns and skill development programmes in the ‘labour camps’ and ‘work sites’ regarding the rights of workers and enhancement of skills related to construction works, and set up mechanisms to redress the grievances of women migrant labourers in the unorganised construction sector of Kerala. The review identifies the critical research gap related to the female migrant workers regarding awareness building, Training Need Assessment (TNA) and skill development in the construction sector in Kerala. Therefore, such a study remains a potential area of research that has a strong bearing on the challenges and issues faced by women migrants in the state economy. Since the employment of women migrant construction workers has larger socio-economic dimensions on their livelihood, a study on the empowerment of women migrant workers in the construction sector of Kerala through training need analysis and skill development becomes pertinent.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the nature and extent of work assignments of women migrant workers engaged in the construction sector of Kerala?
2. What is the level of awareness on the personal health and hygiene, protective measures and labour laws and regulations among the female inmigrant construction workers in the study area?
3. What training interventions are required to empower the women migrant workers to become more productive and earn more income?
4. What are the self-development skills required for maintaining healthy lifestyles by the women migrant workers?

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The specific objectives of the study are:

1. To examine the nature and extent of work assignments of women migrant workers engaged in the construction sector of Kerala.
2. To explore the skill sets of the inmigrant women workers in the construction sector with respect to their job assignments and thereby the skill gap.
3. To identify the self-development skills required for a healthy living of the inmigrant women workers.
4. To discuss awareness among the women inmigrant workers pertaining to labour laws and their rightful claims.
5. To design a training programme to provide awareness on labour laws, safety and health and hygiene practices to improve the self-development women workers.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The present study is exploratory cum analytical and based on primary and secondary data with due representation of rural and urban segments of the three districts: Kannur, Eranakulam and Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala. The secondary data is collected from the Building and Other Construction Welfare Board, Labour Department and the concerned Labour Officials. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches could be used for assessing the empowerment of women through skill development and training. A representative data of both rural and urban segments of the region is taken through systematic random sampling method with 450 samples comprises of 225 each from male and female migrant workers in the construction sector of the identified districts.

The data collection instrument was a Likert type schedule and awareness scales on Health literacy, labour laws and safety measures in the worksites. A qualitative Cause and Effect (Fish Bone) analysis has also been done to pin point the areas that require awareness training and hands-on experience to the migrant workers. A training design and modules have been prepared for field roll out.

MAJOR FINDINGS

1. The study found that apparent difference in wage rate prevailed in their state of origin and in the state of destination remain the sole major determinant factor that pushed them to migration.
2. Wage disparity between inmigrant and local labourers in the construction sector caused by ‘structural differences of employment’ is evinced.
3. The extent and magnitude of the skill gap existing among the women inmigrant labourers engaged in the construction sector, their period of stay in the study area is registered as 1-5 years to
4. Inhumane nature of working and living conditions observed among inmigrant labourers in the area under study.
5. The dismal performance in the service delivery of social security measures among the inmigrants about their access, availability and outreach.

CONCLUSION, SUGGESTIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY

The study found that the inmigrant women labourers have been subjected to exploitation of various types and manners. There is dearth of awareness in health-related matters, safety and security measures and labour laws and exploitations. On the basis of the field experience, the study developed a multimedia training material for giving awareness training to the women labourers in the construction sites. The study proposes to introduce an e- job portal comprising the updated repository of information on registration of labourers by linking Aadhar Identity Card ensuring access, availability and outreach of service delivery to the stakeholders with promptness and transparency. The job portal would enable to get geo-tagged particulars with the sector and subsector specific information on the requisite number of labourers for each work sites with duration of employment, wage rate, protection and promotional measures and details of the employer.

Executive Summary

A society revolutionized by its public action and social movements, Kerala, labourers have been protected by labour legislation including the right to work of one's choice, right against discrimination, prohibition of child labour, social security, protection of wages, redressal of grievances, right to organize and form trade unions, collective bargaining, and participation in management. Even amid these social safety nets and checks and balances, many studies (Rachel, 1994; Jaitly, 1997; Eapen, 2001; Mallika, 2011; Patric, 2012; Baiju, 2015) showed that the majority of the women workers engaged in the unorganized sectors are exploited socially and economically because of the built-in challenges confronted in the unsecured unorganized labour market. Hence a comprehensive study on the socio-economic and working conditions of women labourers engaged in the organized and unorganized sector in Kerala would help to elicit the issues, challenges, and opportunities confronted by the female labourers working at a different level making their lives and living out of the given employment.

Objectives:

1. To examine the socio-economic conditions of the different categories of women labourers employed in the organized and unorganized Sectors of Kerala.

1. To analyze the working conditions of the different categories of women labourers employed in the organized and unorganized sectors exploring the access, availability, and outreach of protective and promotional measures of the women workers.
2. To evaluate the level of satisfaction of women workers employed in the organized and unorganized sectors of Kerala at their workplace eliciting safety and security measures, basic amenities at the workplace, issues on harassment, and psychological stress at the workplace.

Methodology

The study identified four major labour-intensive sectors which represent the organized and unorganized segments of the labour market namely, health and education from organized and MNREGA and Construction sectors from unorganized sectors. A random sample of 360 women labourers by taking 30 women labourers each from the category of organized and unorganized sectors of the selected three districts are taken for the study. The data collected through a pretested schedule were analysed using the quantitative statistical techniques namely percentages, ‘t' statistics and  ANOVA, and qualitatively projected by Word cloud/ Tag cloud for evaluating the socio-economic and level of satisfaction as well as the social safety nets provided towards the women laborers in the study area.

Major Findings

1. Socio economic profile of the sample respondents show that majority of women are in the age group 35-45 years. Majority of the women labourers in both the sectors belong to OBC category. The educational status of women labourers in the organized sector is above higher secondary level whereas those in unorganized sector falls to be lower than high school level. When the assets and landholdings are assessed also a clear difference is observed among the women from both the sectors.
2. Welfare of labourers at the work place: there exist differences in the nature of work and task of the job within each of the selected sub sector and between the sub sectors the nature of work varies with the job assignment of Ashaworkers, Nurses, attenders, Doctors, Teachers, office staff, helpers, Masons and
3. The distribution of sample respondents by rural urban division shows that more than 80 per cent of the women labourers engaged in the organised sectors hail from rural area.
4. There exist differences in the working conditions of the labourers belonging to the sub sectors of the organised sector in the case of working days per week ranging from 5-6 days to 3-5 days among education and health sectors. The wage dispersal among the labourers in the organised sector is more or less within a well insisted format whereas it is quite heterogeneous and discriminatory in its promptness as well as uniformity of wages for the same nature of work in the unorganised sectors.
5. The female labourers engaged in the organised sectors of Kerala reported that they used to avail protective measures from the study area whereas the labourers in the unorganised sectors revealed that they have not received any protective measures from the concerned organisations/ worksites.
6. Regarding the social and economic empowerment of the women labourers, majority from the three districts involved in selected sub sectors of job responded that they could experience their empowerment in both social and economic aspects while engaging and earning from the different sectors of economic activities in the state.
7. Awareness on protection and promotion measures: Women are reluctant to respond to harassment in public irrespective of their awareness When the level of awareness was computed, it was seen that the level of awareness on protection and promotion measures of the total sample was considered, it was seen that the majority of the sample respondents have only average awareness.
8. Disparity is observed in the awareness of respondents from each sub sector and there is built in ‘awareness divide’ between the labourers belonging to the subsectors of organised and unorganised  
9. The job stress of the female labourers is one of the determinants that influences the productivity and employability in the labour market.
10. The study found that the Job satisfaction score of women labourers in the organised sector is higher than the mean scores of respondents from unorganised sector.

Conclusion

The  study concludes that the majority of women who work in the organized sector are reported to have various challenges including job stress, psychological stress, health issues, and risk and sexual harassment, low level of job satisfaction. Supplementing to this, their work has also been characterized by its casual nature, the temporary relationship between employers and employees and lack of basic amenities, and inadequacy of welfare facilities.  The major issues needs to be addressed are: (1) They have to face challenges like exploitation and harassment at the workplace in addition to the unpaid domestic work and the paid work at workplaces. Even though they are aware of the challenges, the majority of them are not ready to disclose it. (2)The   adverse trade off between work and leisure of women workers is another issue leading them to morbidity and ailments due to their work culture. (3) Land entitlement and housing status of the majority of women workers engaged in the unorganized sector are not satisfactory. Also  the probability to become vulnerable and prone to BPL is very high and the support from work is helping them to sustain and have a decent living. (4) No regularity of work to the labours working under MNREGA leading to uncertainty and unemployment. Labours are subject to exploitation at work place by making them to do hazardous work without proper security. Even though there is violation of labour laws and human rights, their precarious situation prevents them to respond and lose the job. (5) The wage disbursal among the women labours engaged in the unorganised sectors is highly discriminatory as the gender bias is predominant. Another factor that warrants attention is the lack of provision of suitable tools and hands on training to use them properly to avoid risk. Registration of the labourers should be made compulsory and a proper reliable database of the women workers is to be set up. Better awareness training especially related to labour laws, citizen charter, interpersonal skills and attitudes need to be provided. Also the  transportation and conveyance facilities to work in the sites and work places are to be imparted. LSGs initiated sector-specific cells and Welfare Boards shall be constituted to monitor the registration process, redressal of work related promotion, social and protective measures and skill upgradation of the women workers. Policy recommendations:

• Majority of women labourers working in the organized sector belong to the age group of 35- 45 and by social groupwise majority of the female laboures belong to the OBC category. Therefore, the need for policy frameworks uplifting the group of workers in this age group and social category are essential. This involves providing awareness on protectional and skill upgradation measures.
• Social security Act 2008, which recommends formulation of social security schemes viz. life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection and any other benefit as may be determined by the Government for the workers in the unorganised sector shall be strengthened for those from the BPL category, not having housing facility and those with lesser land holding.
• Employers are legally responsible for ensuring safe working condition irrespective of the sector. Employees in the organised sector get benefits (such as provident fund and insurance) whereas for the employees in the unorganised sector also this has to be made mandatory for those above a wage level. For other workers, the government may frame social security schemes.
• In view of the low skill levels of the workforce in the unorganized sector, there is almost no scope for them to move vertically in the occupational ladder to increase their financial situation unless special schemes are administered for these workers to upgrade their skills to work safely.
• A concerted national strategy needs to be formulated to provide access to basic entitlements and basic services for women workers considering the work-related characteristics and the diversified nature of work of Asha workers, attenders and nurses in Health sector, Anganwadi teachers and helpers in Education sector, and the Helpers, workers, Thozhilurappu, MNREGA etc. in the unorganized sector.
• The experience of women workers in different sectors calls for a supportive policy framework. A multi- pronged strategy with the involvement of Central, State and local governments supported by community-based organizations is urgently required to address vexed problems of women labourers.
• Many of their issues largely need policy solution both at national and state levels. The States through its various departments, especially labour, social welfare, health and home have to carry out certain concrete actions to upgrade skills of women labourers.
• Each State has to involve its panchayats, municipalities and municipal corporations in dealing with various aspects of awareness issues of protective and promotional measures.
• There is a need to provide facilitation towards the registration and verification of women labourers in the unorganized sector, with the involvement of pink police stations. The support and involvement of employers, panchayats and municipalities can give better results. It may track illegal actions on women labourers as they are reluctant to disclose such acts and take steps for prevention of crimes.
• Organizing health camps at regular time periods for women workers and issuing health cards could be a positive step towards providing health care services to the women working in hazardous unorganized sectors. Health cards with all the identification details and health related information may be issued to all the labourers. This would be included in the Government of India’s already announced project that every Indian would get an ID card that would contain all relevant information about his/her medical conditions under National Digital Health Mission.
• A dynamic reliable data base is an essential initiative to strengthen a National Women Labourers’ Information System. This database will help in tracing of women workers and visualizing beneficiary services to them. Developing an online platform to share information and experience can be a positive step. Digital innovation through mobile phones will enable a lot of these initiatives, supported by Aadhar and other data.