Employment Arrangements, Labour Conditions, and Job Satisfaction Among the Women Workers Employed in the Pencil Village of India (Pulwama, Kashmir)

Abstract

The expansion of industry in India necessitates the continual advancement of manufacturing workers. Employees encounter several obstacles that jeopardise their health, comfort, and access to important services. Such limits can be reduced by establishing legislation that prioritises the appropriate execution of particular workplace practises and allows individuals to work in a pleasant atmosphere. The Indian Factories Act of 1948 is one such legislation that attempts to guarantee the safety and well-being of all industrial employees in India. We examined the actual implementation of this Act, notably its welfare provisions, in Pulwama’s pencil factories. Despite women’s lack of education and ability, pencil makers offered individuals the possibility to work and earn a livelihood, but their earnings were insufficient. Though employers and the government are making efforts to recruit and assist women workers at pencil factories, we have discovered that they were ignoring their medical treatment facilities and some basic amenities. Women workers received insufficient pre- and post-natal care, which has led to frequent employment turnover following marriage. The majority of women workers were uninformed of their rights under the Factories Act and hence were unlikely to approach anybody or any organisation to enforce its responsibilities.