Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 06, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Tuesday, Nov 06, 2007 ePaper |
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Tamil Nadu
Living on the edge: Construction workers at work in Madurai. MADURAI: The urban landscape is witness to multitudinal changes; one cannot escape from the ‘visual assault’ of modern and post-modern architectures, as the contemporary structures take a form of consuming object asking for instant recognition. Even a traditional city like Madurai has become an integral part of the burgeoning construction industry. But the wider issue of concern is does this so called proliferation of concrete structures influence the social mobility of a large chunk of people involved in the industry. In early morning sunlight hours threadbare men and women, mostly diminutive in appearance, gather in prominent squares and busy three, four corner roads of Madurai, carrying wire lunch bags, hand floats, trowels, wooden straightedges and tamps. Yes, they are the construction workers, brick and cement masons and helpers who are out there at dawn on the lookout for jobs. The construction industry provides employment to a large number of skilled and unskilled workers. The overwhelmingly rural landless migrant Madurai work force consists of labourers from Alanganallur, Vadipatti Kosavangundu, Kariapatti and Virudhunagr and Tirunelveli districts. Indebtedness, inadequate employment, insufficient income and caste discrimination are the main factors that drive them to construction sector. Chinnasami, a helper from Narimedu, has no idea about protective gear or workmen’s compensation. He had a short-lived romance with a union. He says, “Becoming a member in union is a tedious process. They seek ration card, photos and signatures from gazetted officers. Where will I go for them?” Lack of awarenessThe lack of awareness and illiteracy cannot be taken as a single major factor that prevents construction workers from joining trade unions and other welfare associations. The determinant factor is the inadequacy of anticipated benefits. Unionisation as a central factor among workers is missing and unions are not able to make an impact on construction workers. Most of them are sleeping members of political parties. Valli, an elderly woman, works as a helper. From Kariapatti she came to Madurai searching for a livelihood due to crop failure and caste discrimination. She says, “Life is not better for us here. We don’t even get work for a two-week time in a month. Being women, we are paid less than normal during most of the times.” TemporaryA majority of construction sites are of temporary nature since most structures require little attention once construction is completed. Mobility of labour in the construction industry raises special problems on sites, where temporary arrangements must suffice for provision of welfare amenities. Masons have a significantly higher incidence of skin diseases like viral infections and scabies. These skin diseases can be taken as an expression of poverty, overcrowding and occupational hazards of the construction industry. Consumption of liquor is quite rampant among workers; incidences of HIV are more among construction workers in Madurai. M. Shanthi, secretary, Nirman Mazdoor, says, “We conduct AIDS and legal awareness campaigns on a regular basis to make them sensitive about safety measures and legal rights”. The provision of social security can itself be a means that will lead construction workers to organise and become empowered. Security of needs like food, health care, housing and childcare, empowers these vulnerable workers and helps them to alter their bargaining position in the market.
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