Labouring brick by brick

Labouring brick by brick
Few safety measures at work sites make construction workers vulnerable to accidents. Efforts are on to build the welfare of this largely unorganized sector
Deepa Bhasthi | TNN

Bangalore: Two deaths in a day. A fatal fall, a couple of months ago. Another death, a life-long debilitating fracture and more. Accidents and deaths among construction labourers are becoming frequent in Bangalore. The sheer number of these workers in the state, their largely unorganized employment structure and the lack of safety measures on most of the construction sites further expose them to the dangers of serious accidents and death, while at work.
The push to make the construction labourers’ membership in welfare board mandatory is a positive step. While there are efforts to ensure that the victim and/or his family get financial assistance after accidental injury or death, the system doesn’t offer much in terms of preventive measures.
The security mechanisms in place at many construction sites in the city leave a lot to be desired. While the high-end builders and contractors try to ensure requisites like protective gear for the labourers, these measures are far from the norm in Bangalore, that continues to see a huge growth in real estate activity.
Construction workers, as a sector, includes brick layers, painters, masons, plumbers and all those who constitute the chain who contribute to the construction of a building. Though the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act of 1996 allows for several benefits and welfare measures, the sector is still largely unorganized, due to the migratory nature of a majority of the workers.
A recent rule — that all construction contractors should ensure that the labourers are enrolled as members of the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board — is an attempt to extend the welfare measures of the board to a larger section of the workers.
K A Mohan, chairman, Bangalore working committee of the Karnataka State Construction Workers Central Union, says the welfare board has to give a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin in case of death or the construction worker in case of an injury which might make the worker incapable of work. The contractors or builders also provide group insurance to workers, with the compensation being given as per the age of the worker.
Under this, a worker aged 40 and above would be given an insurance of Rs 2 lakh while for a younger worker, the compensation would be up to Rs 4 lakh. These benefits, though, are open only to members. The membership costs Rs 25 initially and later, Rs 10 every month.
Mohan said the contractors or the union has to validate the membership letter, though the temporary nature of the construction jobs continues to pose issues of recording labour movement. The labour department estimates that there are over 20 lakh construction and building workers in the state, including migrant labourers from the northern states.
Migrant labour from other districts and states has contributed further to the unorganized nature of the sector. Karnataka labour minister Bachche Gowda had recently mooted the idea of migration certificates for labourers coming in from other states in order to streamline the construction labour sector. The idea is not translated into action.
Benefits to members of the
welfare board
Rs 1 lakh for next of kin of dead and worker with permanent injury Group insurance to be borne by contractors/builders Rs 4,000 for women workers for maternity leave Rs 2,000 to family in case of natural death of worker Rs 5,000 for wedding of two children Rs 50,000 as house loan for workers aged below 45 years, to be repaid in 15 years at 1% interest Rs 5,000 loan to buy tools of trade All benefits available one year after enrolling as member; each get an ID card
The numbers speak
Estimated 50,000 members in Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Karnataka State Construction Workers Central Union has about 60,000 members Over 20 lakh construction workers in state 5 lakh-6 lakh workers in and around Bangalore Migrant influx mainly from UP, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand