Diamond city Surat's Informal Labour Markets

Informal Labor, Migration, Gujarat

Background: The Diamond city of  Surat's  usually is home to about 41.76 Lakh migrant laborers (from 21 states of India also from 33 districts of Gujarat), about 58% of its total population. They work in textile manufacturing, dyeing and printing, power loom, embroidery, cutting and packing of cloth, construction, diamond cutting, and packing polishing, among others industry, and about 60% of the migrants work as contractual laborers and daily wagers. These sectors seem to be the worst hit due to the lockdown and the reverse migration of migrants from various parts of the city to states like UP, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal among others. As a result, lakhs of workers are in fear of losing jobs, their savings depleting rapidly. These daily-wage workers live in constant fear of contracting the coronavirus, far away from the family support systems available in their hometowns. Facing persistent hunger due to an inadequate supply of food, they have grown anxious about the situation and have demanded to be allowed to return to their hometowns. 

Status of Migrant Labourers: So far 3,24,000 documented migrant laborers have left the city; 1,00,000 migrants through 85 Shramik Special trains since May 2 to UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttrakhand, Orrisa and an additional 84,000 through GSRTC buses since May 6  within the territory of Gujarat state mainly to Amreli and Bhavnagar, Botad, Dhoraji, Patan and additional to 90,000 through 3,000 private buses since April 28 within territory  Gujarat state and additional to 50,000 through more than 10,000 private vehicles since April 28 within the territory of Gujarat state.  Around 2,46,000 undocumented migrant laborers have left the city by walking, bicycle, and private vehicles. Besides, this GSRTC alone is to ferry about 4,00,000 migrants in the coming days.  A further group of the labourers are stranded and await opportunities to leave. Several migrant workers seeking to return to their homes from Gujarat have breached the 20,00,000 form state's industrial hubs like Surat, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bharuch, and other south towns Gujarat. This number is likely to increase by a few more lakhs. Separately, nearly 1,50,000 lakh auto drivers in the Surat city are facing unemployment. With more than 36 lakh migrants remaining in the city, there is a need to incorporate relief measures covering them immediately. 

Policy response:  Gujarat government has ordered employers not to terminate their employees during the lockdown and to pay full and timely salary. The government has also launched the 'Digital Gujarat' platform to register all inter-state and inter-district travel of people. State government assured the distribution of food grain to 61,00,000 APL-1 card holder of Gujarat state. 3,32,439 workers are getting their livelihood under such MNREGA program in Gujarat. MNREGA works are in progress in 4,272 gram panchayats of Gujarat. A total 2,112 works have been started in 33 district of Gujarat under SSJA. Employment of 1,00,239 man days have been generates so far under SSJA. The CM has also decided to provide Food Security Allowance to 51,72000 beneficiaries of Mid-Day Meal school class 1 to 8, under this Gujarat state government has deposited a total sum of Rupees around 75.59 crores as cooking cost in the bank account of the children or their parents. Strong policies to generate employment for migrant labourers returning to villages and those left stranded in the city is expected out of the six-member committee headed by former union finance secretary, Hasmukh Adhia, and to ensure a massive chunk of the population does not slip into greater poverty. 

Data Sources:  

https://m.timesofindia.com/city/ahmedabad/migrants-make-up-70-of-workforce-in-surat-50-in-ahmedabad-study/amp_articleshow/66170754.cms#aoh=15893931221774&amp_ct=1589393138000&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s

https://m.timesofindia.com/city/surat/surat-rto-to-trace1-5l-auto-drivers/amp_articleshow/74938527.cms

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/coronavirus-latest-figures-list-of-10-worst-affected-indian-states-and-cities/story-FojzL8ltB9eoVf9xocUd9K.html

https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/coronavirus-lockdown-surat-industry-bodies-arrange-buses-for-migrant-workers/1945844/

https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/21412/surat/population 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/over-6l-migrants-leave-surat-in-15-days/articleshow/75703235.cms

https://m.timesofindia.com/city/ahmedabad/mammoth-task-20l-workers-register-to-leave-gujarat/amp_articleshow/75512509.cms

https://theprint.in/opinion/media-overplayed-surat-migrant-protests-didnt-see-the-city-taking-care-of-the-outsiders/405656/

https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/gujarat-govt-forms-six-member-committee-to-revive-post-covid-economy/75731449

https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/digital-india/digital-gujarat-lockdown-e-pass-govt-launches-online-platform-to-issue-covid-19-exemption-pass-in-lockdown/75640496

https://cmogujarat.gov.in/en/cm97-out-of-163-labor-trains-in-india-operate-from-gujarat/

https://cmogujarat.gov.in/en/cm-ensures-necessary-arrangements-to-bring-back-stranded-gujaratis-amidst-lockdown/

https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/pay-wages-to-workers-or-face-jail-gujarat-govt-warns-employers-amid-coronavirus-lockdown/1917537/

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  Divy Vir Patel

  Divy Vir Patel is currently a Mahatma Gandhi National Fellow at IIM Bangalore. She has a B.E. (Electronics and Communication) degree from Gujarat Technological University. She has been working with NGO (Parivartan Trust) that works for Education, social welfare and Women Empowerment since last 5 year.
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  Kanhu Charan Behera

  Kanhu Charan Behere have completed his Masters in Development studies from TISS, Hyderabad. He has also served in HCL Foundation as an Associate project cordinator, currently he is associated with IIM Bangalore as a Mahatma Gandhi National Fellow.