The unorganised workers in Odisha constitute almost 92 per cent of the 1.75 crore working population of the State as per the Census 2011. With declining scope of employment in the organised sector, more and more workers come to informal economy.
The economic growth and social progress of a State depends on its productive and quality workforce. The neglect of our working population has impacted the State economy adversely and sociopolitical environment. In order to arrest the inequality in access to the State sponsored benefits for workers, the unorganised workers must be provided their rightful entitlements for a dignified living. The constitutional mandate and legislation for workers must be enforced universally to benefit all and not just a few in the organised sector.
Though the Government of Odisha has constituted the social security board for the unorganised workers, but the social security measures for these workers have not yet reached to the vast section of workers. There is lack of a database of unorganised workers though recently the Central Government has started e-SHRAM for registration of unorganised workers with the Supreme Court directive. A majority of the unorganised workers, who are migrants, are engaged in construction work, street vending, domestic work and self-employment but their identification and registration process has been getting delayed due to lack of initiative of the State Government as well as inaction of the trade unions in organising the section of workers.
As usual trade unions in India are more interested in organised sector employees as it is easy to organise them. But with enforcement of Labour Code on social security, the scope of social security measures has been expanded to all categories of workers. The Unorganised Workers Social Security Act 2008 addressed issues of social security of all workers. Labour is a subject in the Concurrent List; so both the State and Center have equal responsibility to address the issues of the workers. But unfortunately, in spite of our Constitutional mandate for protection of workers from all forms of exploitation by regulating working hour, wage, insurance and social security benefits, the unorganised sector workers are yet to avail any benefits.
There is practice of inequality in wage and social security benefits as there are huge gaps in the lowest and highest wage rate as well as benefits under social security provided by the State. The unorganized workers are always discriminated.
The unorganised workers in Odisha are mostly low paid as the Minimum Wage Act has not been properly enforced and monitored by the trade unions and Labour department officials. There are irregularities in availing jobs as they live a life with insecurity of employment. They have no paid leave, sickness holiday or insurance against any damage or disability and the guaranty of pension in old age.
The money paid under various social security schemes run by the State and Central Governments such as Aam Admi Bima Yojana, Rastriya Swsta Bima Yojana, Old age pension, ex-gratia for accidental death, natural death and permanent and partial disability etc is very less to fulfil minimum needs. Even these schemes still have not reached a large section of rural workers in the State. The minimum wage rate and the old age pension amount in Odisha are one of the lowest in the country.
The unorganised workers in Odisha are found more in primary sector such as agriculture, forest produce collection, fishery, sanitary work, construction work, weaving and artisan work. A majority of them are traditional poor, who are socially discriminated and migrant workers. Many of them are homeless and landless, illiterate and unskilled. So, it is necessary to ensure homestead land, housing and skill upgradation programme for their all-round development.
Lack of homestead land in the village has been a major reason of distress migration and social conflict. The unorganised workers in urban areas also face the problem of housing, water and electricity and always struggle to live with the basic minimum. During the height of Covid pandemic, the plight of the unorganised workers in urban and rural areas had substantially drawn the attention of all.
The unorganised workers need extra allowance to meet their basic food needs in not just a crisis time like Covid but in any other odd time which deprives them of their livelihood. Among the unorganized workers, the women unorganised workers are more vulnerable. Both at family and workplaces, in the absence of protective legal and social mechanism, they are harassed. Domestic violence and exploitation at workplace have made their life miserable as they do not enjoy the privilege of organised sector women employees such as maternity leave and a host of other facilities. The trade unions in Odisha are often male dominated and visible in urban areas.
The women self-help groups and elected women leaders of PRIs very seldom intervene in the issues of women workers. Along with enforcement of existing protective laws and implementation of schemes for unorganised workers universally, it is highly required to impart skill development training to workers so that they can be made employable regularly. The employer, contractor and owner of establishments violating Labour laws must be monitored and punished by the enforcement agencies for which the State Government must ensure adequate institutional mechanism. The trade unions and other agencies, NGOs engaged with unorganised workers welfare must be allowed to monitor the implementation of various welfare schemes.