By Verghese V Joseph –
The crass globalization has stalled the rural economies with heavy loss of income and employment. A new thought emerging from the civil societies, human rights organizations, migrants associations, the labour organizations and the trade unions is that “Our world is not for sale. Stop corporate globalization. Another world is possible.” Let the world rally around the above slogan to create a new world order with dignity and equity.
The world today is haunted by the pandemic Corona virus and the subsequent global lockdown is an occasion for an introspection on the plight of humanity and to look forward to a new development paradigm.
A development with a human face where the dignity of labour and value of human life as upheld by Pope Francis in his encyclical,” Yet we can once more broaden our vision. We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology; we can put it at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social and more integral. Liberation from the dominant technocratic paradigm does in fact happen sometimes, for example, when cooperatives of small producers adopt less polluting means of production, and opt for a non-consumerist model of life, recreation and community”. (Laudato Si, n. 112).
The UN proposal, for Transforming Our World: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has become relevant. ‘Decent work for all’, figures prominently in the Sustainable Development Goals (no.8).
According to India Labour Organisation (ILO), the four pillars of decent work are productive employment, labour standards, social dialogue and social protection. Productive employment refers to employment that yields sufficient returns to permit the worker and his/her dependents a level of consumption above the poverty line. Decent wage is about paying workers enough so that they can cover the basic costs required for a dignified and healthy life for them and their family.
The Role of Workers India Federation and the CBCI Labour Office
The Workers India Federation (WIF), the instrument of the Labour Office of the Catholic Bishops’ conference of India (CBCI), has the responsibility with the regional Labour Commissions and various fora’ to synergize the rural economy with gender equality.
Human Resource Management Policy adopted by the CBCI in 2016 can come in handy for the Catholic institutions. To empower the workers, regional commissions can be strengthened — giving participation to major work force in the respective regions. All the dioceses can also form Labour Commissions to protect the rights of the workers. The workers enumerated below needs special attention;
1. Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry:
They form 56.6 percent of the work force in the country contributing 14.10 percent of the GDP. The economic survey 2017-18 states that the farm income would reduce 20-25 percent due to the adversities in climate and therefore the urban migration would increase. But the specialized financing from the government with collective farming, value addition, co-operativisation and e-marketing can revitalize agriculture and fishery sectors.
2. Migrant Workers:
Due to the failure of the rural economy large numbers of workers are migrating and now the vice versa is happening due to Covid-19 lockdown.
a. Overseas Migrants: India has 17.5 million overseas migrants. Due to lack of appropriate policy and legislation in India, the migrant workers end up in untold miseries. The Global compact on the safe, orderly and regular migration adopted by UN in 2018 is an instrument for educating the society for safe migration. It is also an instrument for negotiation to the national Government to frame a policy and law to protect the rights of the migrant workers. E-migrate, the web portal introduced by the Government can be made use by the diocesan commissions to maintain proper data. In the context of the pandemic, reintegration of migrants is a major concern.
b. Inter- State Migrants: There are 45 crore interstate migrants in the country. Proper legislation to protect their rights, safety, welfare and social security is essential. Pre-departure orientation with proper documentation of the outgoing migrants have to be maintained by the labour departments through an e-portal. The receiving states too must have proper data to protect them at different eventualities including disasters.
3. Domestic Workers: As per the ILO estimates there are 4.2 million domestic workers in India. In spite of various international conventions including the ILO convention on ‘Decent work for the domestic workers’ (C.189), there is no legislation to protect the rights of the domestic workers in the country. Various states in the country have moved forward to recognize them as workers and ensure minimum wage, social welfare etc. Attempts on the side of labour commission to protect the rights of the domestic workers as majority of them form female category and the trafficking in women is on the increase has to be effectively done.
4. Construction Workers: The 2.39 percent of the construction workers in India are contributing 13.79 percent share to the GDP. The living condition of the workers and the family members needs to be improved with appropriate social welfare schemes.
5. Other Informal Workers: The daily wage workers in the country comprise 51.15 percent. The living condition of these workers is day by day deteriorating with no proper social protection and social security measures.
6. Apostleship of the Sea (AOS): The Centennial celebration of Apostleship of the sea was to happen this year. Due to the Pandemic Corona Virus the celebration is postponed to next year. But let us remember in prayer thousands of seafarers, passengers and the crews stranded in the ships and ports.
7. Employment of the Youth: Presently India has the largest share of youth population in the world. The unemployment rate of the youth is also growing alarmingly high. We must collaborate with the skill Mission of the State and Central Governments to promote the youth to be efficient work force with suitable skills and competence.
In Holy Father’s concluding words, “All of this shows the urgent need for us to move forward in a bold cultural revolution. Science and technology are not neutral; from the beginning to the end of a process, various intentions and possibilities are in play and can take on distinct shapes. Nobody is suggesting a return to the Stone Age, but we do need to slow down and look at reality in a different way, to appropriate the positive and sustainable progress which has been made, but also to recover the values and the great goals swept away by our unrestrained delusions of grandeur” (Laudato Si, n. 114).