Indian Workers Research Articles

Overlooked Realities: Reimagining "Home" and "House" Among Women Domestic Workers in India.

Domestic workers (DWs) are integral to the daily lives of a significant portion of India's urban population, with an estimated 3.9 million individuals employed in domestic roles in urban areas, mostly women. This article explores the perceptions of home, house, and safe spaces among migrant women DWs in Delhi. Through in-depth interviews, it delves into their lived experiences as both breadwinners and survivors of domestic violence, revealing that (a) house and home are differently conceptualized by these workers; (b) their homes are perceived as warzones, reinforcing patriarchy through incidents of domestic violence and gendered subordination; and (c) women DWs navigate the complexities of conflicting identities as breadwinners and survivors within unequal gendered relationships.

Reframing the Indian Middle Class as a Labour Aristocracy

Abstract Taking from, and critiquing, both the scholarship on the Indian “middle class” as well as the scholarship on the ‘labour aristocracy’, this paper argues for the reformulation of the Indian “middle class” as a labour aristocracy or worker elite. We define the distinctive characteristics that set the Indian worker elite apart from the broader working class and highlight, through the case studies of international migration, patterns in urban living spaces and domestic service employment, the stark differences between the worker elite and the poor working masses in India, and the exploitative relationship that exists between the two. The analysis points to the semi-periphery being the locus of the largest inequalities in the capitalist world-system today, where the bourgeoisie and the worker elite both gain tremendously from the exploitation inherent to capitalism. Resultingly, the task at hand in India and the semi-periphery broadly remains to organize the poor, marginalised working masses.

Women's Right Under Indian Labour Laws: An Analysis

Women's Right Under Indian Labour Laws: An Analysis

Economic Importance of Migrant Labor in Kerala

people travel to Kerala each year to work as seasonal labourers. They play a significant part in the growth and survival of Kerala’s economy. Changes in the labour market, increased tax income for the government, and overall economic expansion are connected with worker movement. To examine the current pattern of worker migration and the availability of local workers in rural economies. The researcher selected a descriptive research technique that relied heavily on secondary sources to gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. Publications such as books, newspapers, journals, articles, and internet platforms such as blogs and wikis are examples of secondary sources. This article examines the frequency and relevance of migrant workers in the state’s current labour market and the availability of local labour in Kerala’s informal rural labour market. By segmenting the labour market in Kerala by industry, this study will assist in determining the extent to which migrants have affected the state’s economy. The rural Indian labour market has shifted from agriculture to service and industrial industries. The number of persons employed in manufacturing and services is growing yearly, while employment in agriculture is deteriorating. The government is in trouble because poor people are willing to perform physical labour. There was a need for low-cost physical labour in Kerala; therefore, migrant workers from other countries arrived to fill the need. Without the assistance migrant workers give in areas with a severe shortage of local staff, firms would fail.

Effects of COVID-19 on Tea Plantation Workers in India: Issues of Labour Market Institutions

Effects of COVID-19 on Tea Plantation Workers in India: Issues of Labour Market Institutions

Lives and sustenance of migrant Indian women in Indenture and COVID-19

In the early nineteenth century, several indentured laborers and their descendants were exposed to political, social, and cultural shifts and instabilities that perpetuated over the decades. Simultaneously, in the pandemic era of COVID-19 and the colonial period, women workers had to overcome numerous hurdles, as they migrated without proper sustenance. The main objective of this study was to examine the working conditions, physical and psychological conditions, and sustenance of contracted laborers, especially migrant women, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of them are inequality in the labor markets, domestic workloads and workspaces, sexual abuse, mobility crises, child abuse, xenophobic attitudes, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). By adopting a qualitative approach and critical examination, it is observed that the vulnerabilities of low-skilled women, the exploitation of migrant labor, as a matrix of identities, behaviors and power relationships are discernible in capitalist expansion, and the disparities that they induce while taking into account how the market mimics the prevalent sexual division of labor.

Vision and Mission: To Restore and Work on a Narrative About South Africa and the Netherlands for Our (Grand)Children and Future Generations

This article shows a contrast between the morality of South Africa and the Netherlands. The latest example is the courtcase before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The Netherlands is conspicuously keeping its distance. This may be explained by the neo-colonial attitude of the Netherlands during the period when it colonised, enslaved, looted and pillaged South Africa, imposed indentured labour and established apartheid. This article attempts to initiate a new narrative that transcends this sickening history, a narrative intended for South African and Dutch great-grandchildren. We see this narrative as a start for rewriting history, but also for writing children's books and creating restorative art expressions.

The Precarious Work, Livelihood Pressures and Health of Migrant Brick Kiln Labourers in India

PurposeThis paper aims to analyse the factors influencing migration, the labour migration process and the status of migrant laborers in the informal sector, particularly those working in brick kiln factories. It will shed light on the precarious nature of their work, often characterized by informal and verbal contracts. The paper examines occupational and environmental health hazards affecting the labourers and their impact on their well-being, the vulnerability of women in the precarious work environment and the associated health risks in brick kiln factories in India.Design/methodology/approachThe study relies primarily on primary data collection, supplemented by secondary literature and documents. Balangir district was chosen as the research region due to its historical deprivation, underdevelopment and the historical prevalence of environmental distress, leading to distress-driven migration. To gather primary data, 40 respondents were selected from five selected blocks in Balangir district, resulting in a total of 200 respondents. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with 35 individuals across the selected blocks, with approximately seven participants from each block. In addition, interviews of 10 kids were taken and around 10 key informants including the trade union leaders, intellectuals and civil society activists.FindingsMigrant labourers, including men, women and children, face significant health issues and are exposed to similar occupational health hazards. Internal migrant women workers are more vulnerable as they face critical health risks during pregnancy in host areas due to unfavourable working conditions and limited access to health-care services. Factors such as strenuous work, long working hours, poor nutrition and inadequate maternal care contribute to adverse outcomes such as spontaneous abortion, premature delivery and abnormal postnatal development.Research limitations/implicationsThe brick kiln industry presents a distressing reality for men who are highly vulnerable to occupational accidents, and women workers are exposed to sexual abuse, exploitation and violence. The prevalence of physical harassment, ranging from leering to rape, is alarmingly high among women. These incidents not only inflict physical harm but also cause severe psychological trauma and increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Despite the existence of laws aimed at protecting women’s rights and addressing sexual offences, the workers often remain unaware of their rights. This lack of awareness further compounds the vulnerability of women workers and perpetuates their exploitation in the workplace.Practical implicationsTo address health issues comprehensively, interventions should encompass the entire migrant population, including men and children. Strategies should focus on improving access to health-care services, promoting occupational health and safety measures, ensuring proper immunization and nutrition for children and addressing the broader social determinants of health. Empowering women with knowledge about reproductive health and rights, raising awareness about available health-care services and strengthening health-care providers’ capacity to cater to migrant populations are crucial steps towards addressing health disparities.Social implicationsUrgent interventions and policies are needed to address the health vulnerabilities of internal migrant workers and women workers. It is required to ensure health-care accessibility, improving working conditions, ensuring access to maternal care and essential supplements and providing health-care services for both pregnant women and their children, regardless of migration status.Originality/valueThe study focused on precarious health and occupational hazards and accidents faced by migrant workers. It highlights women migrant labourer’s and children’s vulnerability in the Brick Klin sector, which is a value addition to the existing knowledge in social science.

Informal workers in India as an economic shock absorber in the era of COVID-19: A study on policies and practices

BACKGROUND: With greater uncertainties and economic divides in Indian formal and Informal economies; the lockdown in its unprecedented ways severely knocked the crucial vulnerabilities of majorly the informal sector of the economy. METHODS: The study was conducted across the Indian population who have suffered from the bad impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown. The data collection process was conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak from June 2020 to October 2020. Multiple regression analysis and independent-sample t-test were applied to test the hypothesis. RESULTS: The study closely highlights the role of the government system towards non-government organizations those who played a crucial role in the welfare of the informal workers. The results suggest that the most affected group of people in the COVID-19 lockdown are the informal workers who were working on daily wages for their bread and butter. The government endeavor was also found significant in supporting the informal workers.

Burnout and Coping Styles among Frontline Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Healthcare professionals lead the healthcare services with their all resources of psychological as well physical to help the patients. However, the psychological well-being of these professionals is being affected by factors such as the lack of fixed working hours, prolonged standing, shift work and additional administrative tasks which they perform. Prolonged exposure adds to burnout in their work life. Objective: The objective of the present study was to examine burnout and coping styles among healthcare workers in India. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study, and participants who were working in the healthcare setup were contacted (N = 100). They were assessed on the professional quality of life scale and the COPE scale. Result and Conclusion: Overall, a moderate level of burnout was reported (M = 21.98, SD = 3.13) among healthcare professionals. Also, problem-focused coping styles were observed among the participants, i.e., ‘planning coping’ (M = 13.22, SD = 1.63), ‘active coping’ (M = 12.90, SD = 1.53), and ‘suppression of competing activities’ (M = 11.02, SD = 1.89). a significant relationship was observed between burnout and coping styles (r = -.24, p<0.05). The findings suggest that burnout exists among healthcare professionals which needs to be taken care of with interventional strategies.

Do job aspirations cause job choice? Insights from women entering male‐dominated occupational training in India

AbstractMotivationThe participation rate of women in India's labour force is not only one of the lowest in the world, it has also been declining. To increase women's employment, some observers argue for reducing occupational gender segregation so that more women enter non‐traditional jobs.PurposeI ask how aspirations for non‐traditional jobs are formed among young women in Delhi. The aim was to enable policy‐makers to foster occupational aspirations for non‐traditional jobs so women could enter jobs considered to be men's work, reducing gender segregation and increasing women's participation in the labour market.Methods and approachI interviewed 72 young women from low‐income households in Delhi, following a semi‐structured guide. These young women were training either in jobs seen as the preserve of men—taxi drivers, electricians, and electronics mechanics—or in traditionally female work in beauty salons.FindingsContrary to conventional wisdom, young women's entry into non‐traditional training in Delhi was not a result of their occupational aspirations. Rather, entry into training saw them aspire to the jobs for which they trained.Policy implicationsTo increase women's entry into jobs dominated by men, policy‐makers do not need to influence young women's occupational aspirations. Instead, they should focus on factors that directly affect job entry—for example, having training centres close to where these young women live—and provide opportunities for young women to train.Traditional concepts of occupational aspirations, generally derived from the global North, do not apply in the same way to young women in India. My study raises questions about these conceptions of aspirations and prompts future studies to assess whether they apply in other parts of the global South.

Caste out: How social hierarchy and exclusion affect gig workers in India

Caste out: How social hierarchy and exclusion affect gig workers in India

Labouring under a misapprehension?: Why exploited Indian workers talk of freedom and aspirations

Labouring under a misapprehension?: Why exploited Indian workers talk of freedom and aspirations

Survey and analysis of accessibility, availability, and affordability of topical glaucoma medicines.

Affordability and availability of medicines is a growing global challenge for health-care systems. Access to medicines is recognized as an important determinant of treatment adherence. The access to glaucoma medicines and how it affects glaucoma management are not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the availability, affordability, and accessibility of topical intraocular pressure (IOP) -lowering eye drops in Haryana state of northern India using the World Health Organization (WHO)/Health Action International (HAI) methods. A cross-sectional study was done to collect data on prices and availability of glaucoma topical medications in public and private sector pharmacies and retail outlets using the WHO/HAI methodology between October 2021 and January 2022. The availability and affordability of topical glaucoma medicines was determined. Comparison of the local price with international prices was done by calculating the median price ratio (MPR). A total of 191 facilities were randomly sampled across 11 ( n = 55) urban, 29 ( n = 92) semi-urban, and 44 ( n = 44) rural places during the study period. The availability of topical medication for glaucoma was low (35.7 ± 22.3) across all sampled sites and all classes of topical glaucoma medications. The median price of topical medication and availability were negatively correlated, Pearson's coefficient r (18) = -0.44, P 0.05, though the relationship was weak. A lowest paid, unskilled Indian government worker must spend between 15% and 203% of their daily wage to acquire a glaucoma medication. The availability and accessibility of topical glaucoma medications was low in this survey.

Recent work on indenture in the British World

AbstractThis article provides an overview of the historiography of indentured labor in the 18th and 19th centuries, along with a brief narrative of the origin and definition of indenture. It traces the evolution of the history of indenture in the “British World” (defined here as the areas under both formal and informal British imperial control) from a neglected field to a major focus of historical study. The final section summarizes the current state of the field, assessing how it has moved beyond its earlier focus on social history, demographics, and diaspora studies to become an entry point for wider discussions about the history of imperialism and colonialism, the global history of capitalism, and the history of networks and exchanges between the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean Worlds.

FRAGMENTED LIVES: EXPLORING THE INNER WORLDS OF GIG WORKERS

The gig economy has become a prominent topic in the 21st century, according to an independent review of workers' emerging era. There are many different types of occupations available in India's gig economy, and the sum of people working in this sector continues to rise. Gig workers face various obstacles. The psychological requirements for gig workers have slowly begun to receive prominence. Limited study exists on psychological capital among gig workers in India. This study intended to test a "Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ)" for freelance employees. The 24-item PCQ measured "self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience. PsyCap can help individuals behave safely, reduce job expectations, and improve safety leadership. We used survey methods to get the data, with 149 samples participating as respondents. The study found that the PCQ dimension in India has strong psychometric qualities, making it a suitable tool for assessing psychological capital in Indian gig employees.

Socio-Cultural Dynamics of Cross-Border Labour Migration between Nepal and India

The enduring relationship between Nepal and India is the focus of this study, which delves into the social and cultural dynamics adopted by Nepali and Indian labour migrants in their respective destinations. The study extends to the examination of labour migrants' social backgrounds, encompassing aspects such as religion, caste, ethnicity, education, and family structure. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study incorporates case studies supported by field observations in the destination countries. The gathered data undergoes analysis through descriptive statistics, allowing for a comparative assessment between the two migrant groups. While the socio-cultural status of both groups exhibits slight differences, disparities in caste and ethnicity indicators are noted between Nepal and India. Notably, a significant proportion of Nepali labour migrants hail from Dalit communities when compared to other caste and ethnic groups. In contrast, Indian labour migrants, predominantly from the Other Backward Class (OBC), exhibit a different trend. The volume of Nepali labour migrants heading to India surpasses that of Indian labour migrants to Nepal. The shorter migration distance for Indian labour migrants enables frequent visits to their place of origin, facilitating the celebration of local traditions and culture. In contrast, Nepali labour migrants encounter fewer opportunities to return to their destination regularly. A noteworthy observation is the comparatively higher educational status of Nepali labour migrants as opposed to their Indian counterparts heading to Nepal. The nuanced differences between the two migrant groups correlate with their religious affiliations and socio-economic backgrounds. Interestingly, both groups exhibit a limited number of enrolled children in destination schools, indicating a shared challenge in accessing education opportunities.

The precarious lives of others: studying community, treatment, and precarity in Homebound

Abstract This paper explores themes of precarity, community, and treatment in the novel Homebound (2021) by Puja Changoiwala. The text foregrounds the experiences of migrant workers in India during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 as they walked home during a nationwide lockdown. The paper locates itself within discourses on health, differential treatment, and intersectional vulnerabilities which are compounded by factors including gender and poverty. It particularly highlights the concepts of precariousness and precarity as opening up multiple avenues for exploration of the migrants’ experience within the neoliberal political economy. The paper argues that it is the pre-existing precarities that are systemic, epistemic, and gendered, which aggravate the vulnerability of communities in a medical crisis. Furthermore, it looks at how social and medical treatment of the workers facilitates violence at the hands of those who perceive them as the ill-other – the police forces, the public, the healthcare workers, and the media. It also questions the logic that underlines spaces such as pandemic camps, which become sites of control more than care, and where medical treatment is inhered in socio-political biases and constructs. The paper argues that apprehending these experiences of socioeconomic and gendered precarities through literature can aid in developing a complex and sustained engagement with unequal socio-political systems that perpetuate violence and vulnerability.

Stress Management amongst Shift Workers in India

Stress Management amongst Shift Workers in India

Domesticating Disgust: Food, Labor, and Disgust in Colonial India

ABSTRACT This essay demonstrates the centrality of disgust to nineteenth-century Anglo-Indian culture and identity by examining a range of cultural materials, from Anglo-Indian travelogues and cookbooks to household guides and fiction. It shows how disgust shaped the creation of appropriate Anglo-Indian tastes in ways that asserted racial and civilizational supremacy. In imagining their homes as the domain of racial purity as well as the microcosmic representation of empire, Anglo-Indians sought to paradoxically eliminate disgust by depending on its very source—Indian servants. Given the alimentary embeddedness of disgust, this contradiction was particularly pronounced in thinking about culinary regimes and labor. Disgust in domestic cultures of British India, I argue, served three purposes: it identified its object, prescribed its own exclusion, and constituted Anglo-Indian subjecthood. It thus created a fiction of civilizational coherence and stability. Drawing on studies of disgust, nineteenth-century food cultures, and histories of imperial domesticity, this article shows how an affective history of the domestic culinary cultures of British India can yield stark understandings of its racialized material, labor, and gender ideologies.