Labour, employment and associated issues both in organised sector as well as unorganised sector are secondary to none in importance especially which better schemes for their welfare, social security and economic uplifting could be initiated in a planned way in a state / UT with social justice and providing equal opportunities as the governing policies. In this connection, critically analysing, if we state that unorganised sector has generally always been at the receiving end, it will not be any hyperbolic analysis. They have neither any specific working hours, no overtime, no provident fund, medical benefits or any compensation against a rainy day or physical harm encountered at working place like in organised sector. However, May 1 of each year is being celebrated as Labour Day or International Workers Day to go into the pages of history to refresh but only symbolically so, the struggles, sufferings, gains and achievements of workers throughout the world. Beyond that, concrete steps need to be taken as most of these comprise unskilled, semi skilled and manual workforce without whom no infrastructural development of any type is simply possible.
The positive aspect of the problem is that the UT Government has made it known that it is committed for social and economic justice in favour of the workforce in unorganised sector as assured by the Lieutenant Governor himself recently while chairing a review meeting on labour force. Welfare and supportive measures for the workforce are thus needed to be initiated under a comprehensive Labour and Employment Policy where more cohesion between job / work providing Government departments, agencies, PSUs etc depending upon their nature of work would lend a support to such proposed measures. We have also to examine as to why majority of labour intensive PSUs are in the red, on the brink of mismanagement and awaiting closures with fears of rendering non-skilled and semi-skilled workers without livelihood.
In other words, a makeshift or an ad-hoc approach to the problem would be just leading to nowhere substantially. The UT on the other hand has a continuous serious problem of Daily Wagers working in many a department most of whom are unskilled, getting wages never in time and nursing uncertainties about their future. These existing problems too need to be resolved in addition to taking serious and concrete measures for entire workforce in Jammu and Kashmir as suggested in details by the Lieutenant Governor on Labour and Employment issues. To call a spade a spade, without proper budgetary allocations and assured funds releasing, no measure or policy proposed could prove any meaningful which means a really serious and committed approach by the Government.
However, in this connection, the decision of the UT Government about insurance cover of Rs.2 lakh to the entire workforce including those in the unorganised sector is really commendable and a good start. However, as regards unorganised sector, difficulties in implementation of the said insurance scheme in respect of payment of premium, though to be borne by the UT Department of Labour and Employment, are expected for which modalities need to be specifically worked out. Review meetings at regular intervals in respect of the standing and emerging issues of the workforce must be held in which participation of the representatives of Trade Unions / Labour organisations will make such meetings participative in nature to know each other’s view point. Since with the introduction of IT modes and online facilities in each sector are becoming now the norms and the requirements, data of each type can be prepared which can readily provide critical information all about labour and employment issues. However, mandatory registration of the entire workforce is a must to ensure implementation and benefits reaching the targeted groups.That will definitely provide a base for projections, estimates and realisable goals in respect of initiating schemes of social justice, security and welfare measures. Medical facilities and education of the children of the workforce must occupy the top slots of priorities in labour welfare measures.
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