It’s was a ‘beautiful’ Sunday evening just past 5pm, in Trivandrum, Kerala, India… I had to close all the windows before taking a nap due to the drilling and welding sound in my hostel; some renovation works! I headed towards store for snacks… on the way back I heard an ear-piercing sound. It was from a building given below…
As you can see it’s a four storey building,
and people were working in this Sunday evening. They were working while anyone
else is taking rest…
Indignation was what I felt then… I recalled
the movement for ‘fellowship hike’ by PhDs from my institute in the beginning of
this year; 2015… Their claim (I phrase it as claim; because it may or may not
be true!) was, they work day and night paying attention to what they were doing;
in hazardous environment especially when dealing with radioactive, explosive
and high energy etc objects and the fellowship wasn’t enough for their hard work.
Let us look at the workers you see in red circle closer (When I went again around 5.30pm they were there.)… Two are sitting at a height ~9 meters and one is sitting at a height ~12 meter. Do they have enough safety measures??? Do they get tolerable amount as wage for their hard work???
My intuition told me ‘compare life style
and the houses other gadgets that a mason or a carpenter has with a school teacher
or professor or any police officer has here, in kerala’. Then I felt 'oh, these workers get
very low income…'
On searching for evidences I came to
certain conclusions which are true at least for Kerala…
Income of the above mentioned workers
very from ~10000 INR to ~18000 INR per month1,2,3,16,17. Whereas for a research fellow it varies
from 25000 to 28000 INR (it was 16000-25000 before the hike)4,5. For
school teachers ~25000 to 50000 not only just school teachers but also lecturers
police dept etc; the minimal amount that you get is ~150006,7,8,9,10 –
provided Govt. job. It is even lesser for private sector11.
Well, it is certain that the wage
difference for Govt. employee and people who work for daily wages… But what dragged my attention wasn’t the wage difference, But the point
of view of each news. I’ll rewrite those headings.
Times Hike nod for part-time tutor’s salary – the telegraph15
Kerala pay too irresistible for Bengal – the telegraph2
Govt.
approves stipend hike to researchers – the times of India 5
Shortage
of labour hurts Karnataka farmers – the times of India 3
For
migrant labour, Kerala is the new Gulf - the times of India 12
Lack of
skilled workers hits realty sector in Kerala - the times of India 13
UGC follows DST, hikes fellowship by 55% for 15 schemes
- the times of India 14
Do you see the difference in attitude between the wage hiking for a mason or a carpenter to the others???
No one- the media as well as the media customers - wants their wage to be hiked. Why? Don't they deserve a better life?
Or is it because it makes our expenditure high? they also have to pay whatever we pay for vegetables, stationery, health etc... So their income should increase accordingly.
Is there any problem with our economic infrastructure?
At present, we need a hike because everything is costly. It applies for everyone and hence everything become even more costly. In brief though we get a hike, the the standard of life doesn't improve much... what you ALWAYS need is facilities at low cost which will improve the standard of life... which won't be achieved just by a hike!
Think about a scenario, that all these kind of jobs like carpentry, masonry are dealt by Govt. corporation, that the Govt will pay for the job? It certainly makes the life of workers safe as any Govt employee... and if there are training too we -the nation- will get skilled workers even more... It will make everyone's life much better...
What do you think?
Or is it because it makes our expenditure high? they also have to pay whatever we pay for vegetables, stationery, health etc... So their income should increase accordingly.
Is there any problem with our economic infrastructure?
At present, we need a hike because everything is costly. It applies for everyone and hence everything become even more costly. In brief though we get a hike, the the standard of life doesn't improve much... what you ALWAYS need is facilities at low cost which will improve the standard of life... which won't be achieved just by a hike!
Think about a scenario, that all these kind of jobs like carpentry, masonry are dealt by Govt. corporation, that the Govt will pay for the job? It certainly makes the life of workers safe as any Govt employee... and if there are training too we -the nation- will get skilled workers even more... It will make everyone's life much better...
What do you think?
11.http://www.quora.com/What-is-the-average-salary-of-a-school-teacher-in-India
12.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/For-migrant-labour-Kerala-is-the-new-Gulf/articleshow/16776642.cms
13.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Lack-of-skilled-workers-hits-realty-sector-in-Kerala/articleshow/14071434.cms
14.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/UGC-follows-DST-hikes-fellowship-by-55-for-15-schemes/articleshow/45368052.cms
15.http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150130/jsp/calcutta/story_10721.jsp#.VcdVdXGqqko
16.http://forbesindia.com/blog/business-strategy/overcoming-labour-shortage-the-kerala-way/
17.http://www.indialabourstat.com/labourandworkforce/380987/wageratesfornonagriculturaloccupations19952014/209144/wageratesformason19952014/449788/stats.aspx
16.http://forbesindia.com/blog/business-strategy/overcoming-labour-shortage-the-kerala-way/
17.http://www.indialabourstat.com/labourandworkforce/380987/wageratesfornonagriculturaloccupations19952014/209144/wageratesformason19952014/449788/stats.aspx
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