Interstate Migrant Research Articles

“Employers” in a Migrant Intensive Industry: Organised Construction in Thane, Maharashtra

As per Census of India 2011, the Mumbai urban agglomeration forms a major urban magnet for migrant construction workers. The construction sector comprises principally informal workers whose conditions of work are mainly regulated by three laws, viz. the Interstate Migrant Workmen Act, 1979, the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, and the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970. Analysis suggests that these laws do not take into account the nature of informality in the sector. In addition to this, the amalgamation of these labour laws, with several others, into four labour codes further adds to the vulnerabilities of interstate migrant workers by not considering how vulnerabilities of migrant workers vary according to their sector and place of work. This paper explores the status of employers with respect to growing informalisation of workforce in the construction industry by taking a case study approach of an organised construction site at Thane, Maharashtra. Ninety-three per cent of the workers at the construction site were migrants, mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Seventy-two per cent of the workers at the construction site responded that they got their wages from contractors, and in close to fifty-eight per cent of the cases, the contractor was the figure which helped them find work in the site. To understand the role of contractors better, the authors also conducted semi-structured interviews with fifteen contractors and three labour in-charges from the Thane construction site, during April and May 2020. Through these interviews, the authors found that the management sidestepped their responsibility of the workers by specifying that the contractor is the employer of the workers, while the contractors argued that they are the “recruiters” and not the employers. The paper thus tries to understand the term “employer” by comparing the definition of the employers in the three labour laws with our findings from surveys. Are there any potential areas of conflicts between the definitions? How does it get translated in the lives of workers, especially migrant workers? Do informal networks among migrant workers contribute in formulating the perception of the contractor as an employer? We do this by building up on fieldwork evidence of informality on large organised construction sites.

Inclusion of Interstate Migrant Workers in Kerala and Lessons for India.

An estimated 3.5 million interstate migrant workers have become an indispensable part of Kerala’s economy. The state also offers the highest wages for migrant workers for jobs in the unorganised sector in the entire Indian subcontinent. Further, the state has evolved several measures for the inclusion of the workers and was able to effectively respond to their distress during the national lockdown. This paper examines labour migration to Kerala, key measures by the government to promote the social security of the workers and the state’s response to the distress of migrant workers during lockdown, by synthesising the available secondary evidence. The welfare measures as well as interventions initiated by the state are exemplary and promising given the intent and provisions. However, some of them do not appear to have consideration of the grassroots requirements and implementation mechanisms to enhance access. As a result, the policy intent and substantial investments have not yielded the expected results. The state’s effective response to the distress of workers during the lockdown emanates from its overall disaster preparedness and resilience achieved from confronting with two consecutive state-wide natural disasters and a public health emergency in the immediate past. While the government has played a strategic role through policy imperative and ensuring a synergistic response, the data presented by the state indicate a much larger but invisible role played by the employers and civil society in providing food and shelter to workers.

Workplace based Potentially Malignant Oral Lesions Screening among Tobacco Consuming Migrant Construction Site Workers in Chennai, South India: A Pilot Study.

Context:Vulnerable population groups such as migrant workers are identified as emerging high-risk groups for oral cancer owing to the high prevalence of smokeless tobacco consumption. Premature deaths due to oral cancer can be prevented by screening the population with high tobacco consumption practices and detecting early reversible stages of oral mucosal cavity lesions and facilitating linkages for further care.Aim:To assess prevalence of potentially malignant oral mucosal cavity lesions among tobacco consuming migrant construction workers in sub-urban Chennai, India.Settings and Designs:A workplace based cross-sectional study design.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted at workplaces i.e., construction sites for screening potentially malignant oral mucosal cavity lesions among migrant workers across 23 construction sites of Chennai during September 2019 - February 2020. An onsite, group health education session was provided about the harms of tobacco use to the migrants.Statistical Analysis Used:Data entered in MS Excel was analysed using SPSS and multivariate analysis was performed.Results:Among 640 migrants included in the study, 411 (64.2%) were less than 30 years of age, 623 (97.4%) were from north-eastern states of India such as West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand. A considerable size (272, 42.5%) could not read or write and 355 (55.4%) earn a monthly income of less than ten thousand rupees. Current tobacco users were 619 (96.7%), smokeless tobacco users (463, 72.34%), smokers (206, 32.2%) and dual users (52,8.12%). Inflammatory mucosal lesions in the oral cavity were 70.97% and more among smokeless tobacco users comparable to 22.58% among tobacco smokers and was significantly associated with up to 20 years of tobacco consumption.Conclusions:Prevalence of Potentially malignant oral lesions among smokeless tobacco using interstate migrant construction site workers is very high and need urgent interventions.

Pack Your Politics! Assessing the Vote Choice of Latino Interstate Migrants

AbstractWhile popular narratives regarding the destiny of demographics assume Latino interstate migrants will alter destination state politics as Latinos disperse across the states, no studies directly assess the empirical validity of the underlying assumption of migrant's political preferences. Moreover, established theories of domestic migrant preferences suggest a variety of potential individual-level behaviors that often diverge from the underlying assumption of a uniform introduction of more liberal voters. Employing data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey, this study presents an analysis on Latino interstate migrant voting behavior, while also overcoming a variety of data limitations in existing studies. Countering some previous findings that homophily, adaptation, or even a static liberal orientation describes migrant voting behavior, the results suggest that Latino interstate migrant preferences vary by the political context of their previous state of residence. The results imply that the destiny of demographics will be conditioned, to some extent, by the migratory patterns of Latinos and the dyad of departure and destination states. When Latinos leave liberal (conservative) states, they bring more liberal (conservative) policies. In short, Latinos seem to pack their politics when moving across state lines.

Examining vulnerability in a dynamic urban setting: the case of Bangalore’s interstate migrant waste pickers

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the causality of vulnerability is difficult to do and consequently has received insufficient attention. Root causes of vulnerability need to be understood and addressed to support adaptation that addresses climate risk and inequality. This paper contributes to this by examining vulnerability from a structural perspective for the case of interstate migrants from West Bengal working as waste pickers in Bangalore’s informal squatter settlements. It also throws light on how understanding structural vulnerability can help to emphasize social justice concerns while adapting to climatic risks. The research, using qualitative methods, examines complex intersections between a multitude of factors such as climate change, agrarian distress, exclusionary patterns of urbanization and the resultant lack of recognition that shapes and reshapes the vulnerability of a certain group of people. Our findings emphasize the compelling need for vulnerability and adaptation research to focus more on understanding inequality if improving justice is a concern. This focus on justice is insufficiently prioritized in climate change adaptation work.

Examining Vulnerability in a Dynamic Urban Setting: The Case of Bangalore's Interstate Migrant Waste Pickers

Understanding the causality of vulnerability is difficult to do and consequently has received insufficient attention. Root causes of vulnerability needs to be understood and addressed to support adaptation that addresses climate risk and inequality. This paper contributes to this by examining vulnerability from a structural perspective for the case of interstate migrants from West Bengal working as waste pickers in Bangalore’s informal squatter settlements. The research, using qualitative methods, examines complex intersections between a multitude of factors like climate change, agrarian distress, exclusionary patterns of urbanisation and the resultant lack of recognition that shapes and reshapes the vulnerability of a certain group of people. Our findings emphasize the compelling need for vulnerability and adaptation research to focus more on understanding inequality if improving justice is a concern. This focus on justice is insufficiently prioritized in climate change adaptation work.

Interstate Migrant Workmen in the State of Odisha: Issues, Challenges and Action Plans

In the light of ongoing structural changes in India and consequently changing contours of the rural economy, the nature and pattern of migration has been changing over time. More than 30 million people in India are seasonal migrant workers. Odisha's share is 2.5 million and considered a key state in supply of migrant workers. Inter State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 was promulgated for the purpose of regulation of the service condition of the migrant workers, but in status today, it is an ineffective piece of legislation. In today's scenario, there is an urgent need to revisit the debate on legislation for the welfare of migrant workers. It is a small effort to deliberate and advocate on the issue of migration, its impact, development, policy framework and search for alternatives. Thus, this paper focuses on some key issues related to migrant labour in India especially in Odisha state. It also highlights government initiatives and action plans to meet the challenges relating to migrant workers.

Tobacco Abuse and Associated Oral Lesions among Interstate Migrant Construction Workers.

The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of tobacco use and associated oral mucosal lesions among construction workers of Cochin, Kerala, India. A cross-sectional study was carried at various construction sites of Cochin and 2,163 workers were selected using multistage sampling method and were interviewed and examined. Information regarding demographic details, form, type, frequency of tobacco use, earlier attempt to quit, and willingness to quit tobacco use was obtained using predesigned questionnaire. The oral health status was recorded on the World Health Organization oral health assessment form 1997, and the examination was carried out under natural light using mouth mirrors and probe. Data thus collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 17 (Chicago, Illinois, USA) statistical software package. Chi-square test was applied. Among the 2,163 workers, 1,952 were tobacco users and 211 were nonusers. Among the users, 1,021 use smokeless form, 372 use smoked form, and 559 use both. Premalignant lesions/conditions were more commonly seen with tobacco habit, with leukoplakia (14.75%) being the most common followed by oral submucous fibrosis in 201 (9.3%), candidiasis in 123 (5.7%), ulceration in 131 (6.05%), abscess in 59 (2.73%), smokers palate in 58 (2.68%), lichen planus in 21 (0.97%), and malignant tumor in 2 (0.1%). Commonness of abusive habits and oral premalig-nant lesions or conditions was considerable among the workers. Control and early diagnosis through workplace screening are the major backbones for the control of oral cancer. Building workers are unprotected from various health hazards at workplace. Lack of access to health services makes the situation unsatisfactory. Poor literacy and low socioeconomic status have resulted in practice of tobacco, smoking, and chewing in the majority of them. Hence, it is our responsibility to find and guide them with a proper oral health education.

Legislative Failure in Addressing Social Security Concerns of Temporary or Short Duration Migrants Working in the Unorganized Sector

More than 92% of India’s dauntingly large labour force is currently employed in the unorganized sector. A large segment of this unorganized sector labour force is the Temporary/Seasonal Migrant Workmen. Protection of the migrants is covered by a host of legislations such as the Inter State Migrant Workmen (Regulation and Conditions of Service) Act 1979, the Unorganised Sector Social Security Act, 2008, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970; the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, in addition to many employment specific legislations. However, in reality these laws through their narrow definition clauses, complex procedural claims and dismal implementation fail to capture and address the concerns of many temporary/seasonal migrant workmen. As a result, these workers who feature as the lowest rung on the ladder of unorganized sector labour force have been “invisibilised” by the very Legislations that in theory address them. This Article attempts to compressively examine the socio-economic marginalisation of Temporary/Seasonal migrant workmen in the Unorganized Sector especially in context to access to basic amenities, minimum ways and social security; and address the legislative failure in addressing these concerns.

Does Employment-Related Migration Reduce Poverty in India?

Using the unit data from the 64th round of the National Sample Surveys, 2007–08 on employment, unemployment, and migration, covering 125,578 households, this paper estimates the level, depth, and severity of poverty among non-migrants and intra-state migrants, inter-state migrants, and emigrants in India. Based on the out-migration of any members of the household for employment at place of origin and using place of last residence definition, households are classified into intra-state migrants, inter-state migrant, emigrants, and non-migrant households. Economic well-being of migrant’s households at the place of origin is measured by consumption expenditure (income). A set of poverty indices, the poverty headcount ratio, poverty gap ratio, and square poverty gap, are estimated from the household consumption expenditure to measure the level, depth, and severity of poverty among migration categories. The official state-specific poverty line is used in estimating the poverty indices. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression analyses are used in the analyses. Results suggest that the level, depth, and severity of poverty among migrant households is lower than that among non-migrant households; however, it varies across migrant categories. The poverty head count ratio was 41 % among inter-state migrants, 31 % among intra-state migrants, 20 % among emigrants, and 39 % among non-migrants in India. The poverty gap ratio and squared poverty gap were highest among inter-state migrants. Two broad patterns emerge from the state level analyses. Barring Kerala and Punjab that have a higher percentage of emigrants, inter-state migration accounts for a larger share of employment-related migration from the less developed states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha while intra-state migration accounts for a larger share in the developed states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Second, the level, depth, and severity of inter-state migrants from less developed states is higher than that of intra-state migrants and non-migrants; however, the pattern is reversed in the more developed states of India. Adjusting for socioeconomic correlates, the odds of poor among intra-state migrants are lower than those among inter-state migrant’s households. The study supports the proposition that migration and remittances in India are not panacea to structural development constraints and that poor long-distance migrants need to be integrated in poverty alleviation programs.

Mercado de trabalho, desigualdade de renda e migração: o caso da Região Metropolitana de Campinas

This paper shows how labor market can cause part of income inequality, by analyzing the role of migrant workers. Based on data from the Censuses of 1991 and 2000 related to Campinas Metropolitan Region (CMR), in the first part of this work it has been presented an overview of the characteristics of this market in 1991 and 2000, including inequality index for economically active population, divided in three groups: non migrant, intrastate migrant and interstate migrant. Overall, it has increased the average income of workers in this period in the CMR, but this was accompanied by an increase in inequality and in poverty intensity. After defining the socioeconomic profile for each group, an exploratory statistical analysis was undertaken to relate socioeconomic differences and income distribution among groups. Finally, using a multiple regression analysis, it was evaluated the receptiveness of local labor market to immigrant worker. Differently from the early 2000s, workers who moved to CMR from other cities of São Paulo found better and more promising conditions.Key words: labor market, inequality, immigration.

The ECS Interstate Migrant Education Project.

The Education Commission of the States Interstate Migrant Education Project, initiated in June 1976, evolved in response to a need for coordinated planning and implementation of migrant programs among states, ECS's preliminary review of the issue discovered a lack of data on migrant children identified, evaluated, and served by education programs. A seminar held in Phoenix in 1980 developed a number of specific suggestions for serving migrant children.