At Labour Chowk in Patna, Workers Say that Revival of their Livelihoods Is Not a Poll Issue
- 3 years ago
Every morning, hundreds of labour workers, from across Bihar, deboard a train at this railway line passing through the city of Patna. If there are 400 workers on a given day, only 50 or 60 of them get work.
After the coronavirus induced lockdown, which has now been lifted in many parts of the country, the labour economy hasn't revived and workers don't have work.
In Bihar, almost 46.6% of the population is unemployed. Those who are unable to receive university-level education, given the poor quality of it in Bihar, find it even more difficult to get jobs. Some who can migrate to other states have it better but those who can’t, migrate internally to Patna in search of daily-wage work.
Workers say that while they used to get work before the lockdown, they were never given government-mandated minimum wages for their labour.
This despite a minimum-wage guarantee board stuck on one of the pillars of a flyover next to the tracks. Tired of buzzing reporters, all workers said that nothing is going to change. They blamed systemic corruption in Bihar for the rot in their lives.
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After the coronavirus induced lockdown, which has now been lifted in many parts of the country, the labour economy hasn't revived and workers don't have work.
In Bihar, almost 46.6% of the population is unemployed. Those who are unable to receive university-level education, given the poor quality of it in Bihar, find it even more difficult to get jobs. Some who can migrate to other states have it better but those who can’t, migrate internally to Patna in search of daily-wage work.
Workers say that while they used to get work before the lockdown, they were never given government-mandated minimum wages for their labour.
This despite a minimum-wage guarantee board stuck on one of the pillars of a flyover next to the tracks. Tired of buzzing reporters, all workers said that nothing is going to change. They blamed systemic corruption in Bihar for the rot in their lives.
Like our work? Click here to support The Wire: https://thewire.in/support
The founding premise of The Wire is this: if good journalism is to survive and thrive, it can only do so by being both editorially and financially independent. This means relying principally on contributions from readers and concerned citizens who have no interest other than to sustain a space for quality journalism. As a publication, The Wire will be firmly committed to the public interest and democratic values.
We publish in four different languages!
For English, visit www.thewire.in
for Hindi: http://thewirehindi.com/
for Urdu: http://thewireurdu.com
for Marathi: https://marathi.thewire.in
If you are a young writer or a creator, you can submit articles, essays, photos, poetry – anything that’s straight out of your imagination – to LiveWire, The Wire’s portal for the young, by the young. https://livewire.thewire.in/
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