The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Small wages, big risks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 19, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Small wages, big risks

K. Manikandan

The tall buildings that reach out into the sky may probably be a symbol of the times. But little do residents realise that these buildings are also death traps for scores of people whose labour creates the modern symbols of development. Thousands of construction workers in the city toil for small wages, exposing themselves to grave risks.

Just like other unskilled labourers, two youths from Andhra Pradesh had perched themselves on an iron structure to do some plastering on a high-rise building at Kilpauk last month. Sathya and Srinivas belonged to the vast number of migrant workers who travel from the neighbouring State in search of jobs at construction sites in Chennai and other cities. The youths had just started work for the day when the iron framework gave way. They died even before they could receive medical attention.

More recently, a youth who was working inside a central government office on Nungambakkam High Road slipped and fell from the third floor. The body of the youth was noticed only two days after he fell. In both incidents, the police registered cases under Section 304 (a) of the Indian Penal Code (which states "whoever causes the death of a person by a rash or negligent manner not amounting to culpable homicide, can be punished with a jail term for two years, or with fine, or both".)

In similar cases of contract workers choking to death after getting trapped in sewers or manholes, the police file cases under the same section. And even fatal road traffic accidents are registered under Section 304 (a). Rarely do the police manage to get convictions in cases filed under this section. The accused — civil contractors in the case of construction workers — generally pay a fine and get away. No stringent action is taken to compel building owners, flat promoters and engineers to initiate serious safety measures, activists say.

K. Alagu, general secretary, South Chennai district of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), says a lack of proper education among the workers, who are in the unorganised sector, is a major problem. Mr. Alagu, who is also president of CITU's construction workers wing, said that recently a labourer was seriously injured in his leg and had to be operated on while working in a private school at K.K. Nagar. Though it was a fit case for the youth to claim damages, he was hesitant as he was not aware of his rights.

He says the onus of finding the exact cause of death of a construction worker or fixing the responsibility for his death lay with the police. The CITU is demanding that the Tamil Nadu Construction Workers Welfare Board put pressure on the Police to register cases and lodge First Information Reports immediately in the event of a worker getting injured in an accident.

In the rush to complete building projects, promoters do not lay stress on worker safety nor are the labourers educated on taking care of their own safety, Mr. Alagu says, adding that the CITU along with voluntary groups was making efforts to educate labourers about their rights.

In many instances labourers hesitate to approach the police or move the courts seeking compensation.

On the other hand, building owners take the injured workers to private hospitals, pay for the medical expenses and hand over a paltry sum as compensation and brush the issue under the carpet.

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