15 lakh migrant labourers affected by demonetisation in Ludhiana
Post demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, nearly 15 lakh migrant labourers working in different industries of Ludhiana are the worst hit.
Post demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, nearly 15 lakh migrant labourers working in different industries of Ludhiana are the worst hit.
As city industrialists and manufacturers face problem in paying salaries to their workers in cash, they fear the workers may flee to their home towns in case they are not paid their salaries in the next 10 days.
Cycle, hosiery, auto parts and construction business employs more than 15 lakh migrant labourers especially from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orrisa and West Bengal, who come to the city to earn their living.
Most of the manufacturing units pay their staff on 7th or 10th of every month, but under the present circumstances, they are trying to persuade their workers not to demand salaries this month.
Badish Jindal, president of Federation of Punjab Small Industries Associations (FOPSIA), said that the entire system has collapsed due to the. “There is 80% migrant workforce of the total labourers working in our factories, ”said Jindal.
He further said that a limit of withdrawing Rs 10,000 per day and Rs 20,000 per week has been fixed by the Government of India.
This is a major issue and the government should have thought about this before implementing any decision, he added.
Even the associations for workers have come out against the decision and have claimed that the migrant workers who rarely have a bank account have to suffer the most.
The industries have also highlighted that there was no money to be given for transportation of goods and to repair the wear and tear inside factories.
General secretary DP Maur, joint council of trade union, Ludhiana, stated that there are chances that migrant labourers, who work here and won’t get paid due to new rules, may return to their home states.
Meanwhile, some industries have also devised a way to tackle the issue of lack of currency notes. Avtar Singh, Chamber of Commercial and Industrial Undertakings (CICU), said that cheques are being issued to the labourers who have bank accounts.
“We are depositing salaries of workers who do not have bank account in the accounts of the workers who have it, ”said Avtar.