By Matters India Reporter
Calcutta, December 12, 2019: West Bengal Regional Labour Commission organized a two-day seminar on ‘Future of Work’, December 11-12.
It discussed the various issues faced by the migrants from West Bengal.
Bengal Region expressed concern over the migrants who leave their homeland without proper documents.
It came to the notice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Office for Labour while dealing with the rescue of migrants from Saudi as well as from different parts of India.
The testimony of Lawrence Dason from Baruipur Diocese, Kolkota whom CBCI Office for Labour rescued from Dammam, Saudi revealed the plight of migrants living in the Middle East.
Several other migrants are rescued or helped through the interventions of the Catholic Church.
The presentation on migration revealed the need for immediate intervention in the complex issues of the migrant workers particularly the domestic workers, construction workers and seafarers from the region.
The seminar concentrated on the difficulties faced by those left behind, the migrants’ family as well.
Sister Rani Punnasseril, programme manager, CBCI Labour, informed the group the new Labour Codes do not offer assistance to the migrants or their families in their homeland. The Wage Code is bogus code for them.
The floor wage of Rs.178 fixed by the government shows the least concern for the unorganized workers of the country even if they constitute about 93% of the workforce.
Coadjutor Bishop Shyamal Bose of Baruipur Diocese and Chairman of West Bengal Commission for Labour assured the participants that the issues related to migrants are taken seriously and the action plan based on that will be implemented in all the dioceses.
The laity represented from six Diocese of the Bengal Region has expressed their displeasure and disappointment on the decisions of the Central government and the state government as they are not giving due importance to the unorganized workers who contribute the lion’s share to the economy of the country.
The Social Security Code which was introduced in the Lower House has been criticized by all those who support the unorganized workers because the so-called universal social security which has been into discussion for three years remains in the air.
The seminar threw light on the right to social security of the unorganized workers which is at stake. There are many cases which have been dealt by CBCI Office for Labour and its regional counterparts.
The participants discussed many issues their people are facing due to financial problems.
Paulina Hasda one of the participants expressed her anxiety over the persons who are selling their kidneys for livelihood.
She said Remedy Hospital in Kolkata entices the poor villagers to sell their kidney and earn money from the rich.
In spite of death due to Kidney removal, people come forward due to poverty. It is a racket in and around West Bengal particularly Baliajalipada or Bajibindal, Onthoda villages.
They have identified that the kidney transplantation surgery takes place mostly in Kolkata, Delhi and Maharashtra. The amount offered to them for one kidney ranges from Rs.50000/ – 75000/. Mostly the families undergo surgery to meet the financial demand for the marriage of girls in their families.
Bengal ranks fourth among states from where people migrate for work and employment, the Census 2011 data reveals. Between 2001 and 2011, nearly 5.8 lakh people migrated from Bengal looking for work.
Maharashtra and Delhi (NCT region) are the most preferred destinations for work for people from Bengal.
As many as 45.3% of those migrated to Maharashtra and 34% of those migrated are from Delhi’s NCT region for work.
Climate change and vulnerability is another reason for migration from some part of Bengal. It was reported in Times of India on November 2, 2019.
This report along with other input sessions on migration has helped the group to understand the gravity of the issues and the emergency in dealing with those issues.
Father Jaison Vadassery, Secretary Office for Labour animated the two days seminar with the assistance of Father Wilson Fernandes, regional person and Sister Rani, Advocate, and Father Sunil Rozario, person in charge of commission for migrants.
Father Rozario has done research on the migrants and is dealing with the problems of the migrants in Kolkata.
The migrants in Kolkata can approach him for their help.
The region has decided to implement the action plan to promote safe migration, setting up teams for data collection, awareness campaigns in the villages, parishes throughout the region, accompany migrants’ families left behind and registration of migrants in the Web portal – wifmdm.com of CBCI Office for Labour.
The participants have decided to create awareness on both internal as well international migration particularly in those dioceses from where the majority of migration happens.