According to rough industry estimates, 80 per cent of Punjab’s industry is dependent on migrant workforce. This trend of employing workers, mainly from UP and Bihar, started in way back 70s.
With four lakh migrants leaving the state till May 27 and over 12 lakh still registered to go, the industry in Punjab is getting the jitters despite functioning with only 50 per cent of its workforce.
As per the records of Punjab’s Department of Industry, there are over 2.55 lakh units in Punjab and out of them till May 27, around 1.94 lakh (76 per cent) have been opened up again. Over 20.29 lakh workers are employed in these units, out of which 13.07 lakh are back at work, the government data revealed. Ludhiana is the main industrial hub of the state which has 95,202 units out of which 74,271 units are again up and running.
Federation of Industrial and Export Organisation (FIEO), Punjab, said that industry fears that in days to come workforce that has joined back work might also leave. FIEO president S C Ralhan said: “Government is arranging for their free train and bus travel and even special trains are opening up from June 1, we fear that the ones who are here, may also make up their mind and leave. However, we are hopeful that the ones who have left will be back in another 2-3 months, by the time units will start running with 100 per cent capacity.”
The major challenge is to keep the units running with limited workforce. “As of now we are managing with less than 50 per cent of the workers as social distancing norms have to be maintained. However, looking at the exodus, we are worried that the rest who are working may also go because of the ‘free ticket’,” said Rahul Ahuja. Out of 17.7 lakh registrations, total 15.4 lakh are from UP and Bihar which is 88.5 per cent. “The day, a worker’s turn comes to go back via Shramik train, he disappears from the factory,” said Ahuja.
Industrialists say that they are making a list of workers who want to come back and will ask government to help them return.
“If problem persists, we will hunt for workers from within Punjab only, perhaps it may change a trend in Punjab factories,” said Ahuja. The Industry Department, meanwhile, is asking industries to fill form generated by them online so as to arrive at an exact estimate of labour shortage.
