The COVID crisis seems to be an alarming situation in India specially for unorganized labourers, who are bound to move to their home town to protect themselves due to lockdown and non availability of work.
COVID 19 has certainly built up a huge disconnect between workers and owners. In our country employers know that low cost manpower is essential to run their businesses. People are the greatest resource of any organization irrespective of technologies and latest methods. Building, machine and materials may be necessary but they are always treated as secondary resource.
Industries are going to be affected due to non-availability of labourers, specially in the sectors like construction, Textile, road and many more projects division in near future.
Countries like China have lost their faith due to COVID 19 and many European countries as well countries doing business are now planning to shift their plants to India, here our country should grab the opportunities which will help in employment boost. After a period of time and we can overcome from this situation of present economy that has gone derailed.
Also we need to reform the outdated Labour Laws to prevent them for making the investment in the country to create the employment.
Meanwhile, the State government- should take appropriate arrangements for labourers’ employment and engagement. Various methods should be adopted to revive the situation. Providing free food and shelters is not enough, detailed plan to be created to engage them to fulfil their needs otherwise may create huge gap and would be forced to do unwarranted work in the society.
OP Sharma is GM - Human resource, Vihaan Networks Ltd for BSNL Ranchi.