The Socio-Economic Status of Contract Labours in Ballari District

INTRODUCTION

In Karnataka state Ballari district is famous for mines, as well this region naturally carries an excess of heat. In the core of contract labours, there is a huge great demand in this district. For the purpose of development and construction works, still from the post conduction there a qualitative along with quantitative require for contract labours in Ballari. Socially this district is very rich in mining source and economically it is a developing district too in several aspects. Currently, many of productive activities have been depended upon contract basis. Even this cycle has running under contract labours. But their status is differing from period to period, season to season even region to region along with socioeconomic characteristics. Hence there is a proper bond and administrative boundaries to guide and lead the constructive productive obligations. Thus Ballari district has a special position in this particular proper productive concept.

Presently the agencies have been seriously producing many labours in all over the nation. Especially in the core of contract labours agencies are providing curtain training and skills along with instructions. As in Bellary district of Karnataka state, there is a mass of contract labours from agencies as well there has pursuing in both non government organizations along with government departments in the name of outsource. Hence, this Bellary is currently famous for mine and mining related commercial activities. In the viewpoint of socioeconomic perception contract labours occupied a vital role in this Ballari district.

There are many studies about contract labours in everywhere. The Brief reviews of most applicable studies are given in the following paragraphs. Pradeep Jain and Minakshi Garg (2014) in their article on ―Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 Need to Revisit Immediately‖ they squabbled about essentials of revisit the contract labour act immediately. As written in this article, the authors cleared about the intention of that to understand the issues and challenges of contract labour in India and make suggestion strengthen working and living condition of contract labour in their work place. Further, in this article

informal sector. This kind of informal sector promising a lot, but practically provide less safety and welfare measures to contract labour, behind this reason the authors in this article argued to reform labour laws is urgent need. Saurabh Sethi (2010) Study on ―Socio-Economic Analysis of The Migrant Labourers in Punjab: An Empirical Analysis‖ the authors throw the light on Labour migration is a complex phenomenon and encompasses different streams which vary in duration, nature of origin and destination areas and characteristics of the migration process. Even they reveal that High poverty and unemployment in their native places, wage difference and attraction of city life, those are the major factors responsible for their preference of migrating to urban areas rather than the rural ones. This indicates that rural to urban migration is the dominant pattern among the different patterns of migration. Uttam Paul (2013) Research Document on ―A Study of Socioeconomic Status of Workers in the Unorganized Power Loom Sector of West Bengal‖ explains that, almost all the looms used in this sector are less productive and consequently, the workers have become victims of meager earnings as they are paid on a piece rate system that means on actual production. Besides, low productivity due to lack of automatic looms, shortage of finances, tax structures and poor organizational efficiencies are identified as other problems. So we found that, there are a lot of problems of the power loom industry in West Bengal as well as of the workers engaged in the industry and until and unless these problems are solved, the overall improvement of the industry as well as the workers‘ living conditions cannot be achieved.

The optimal challenges of Contract Labours are as follows: • Regional disparities. • Variations of salary scales. • Negotiation practice of food patron. • Adjustment of local languages and communication system. • Changing in regional dress code. • Healthy and unhealthy competition between labour organizations as well as companies. • Imbalances of working hours. • Mismatch in regularity and sincerity. • Problems in maintaining clean and hygienic. • Improper technical command and coordination. • Known or unknown involvement of child labours. • First aid and emergency period oriented insufficiencies.

The main and specific objective of the present study is: • To find about the working patterns of contract labourers in industries.

The following tentative hypothesis have framed to meet the objective of the study. • Significantly, the majority of the contract labourers in industries are joined under Contractor as well mainstream, they have 8 Hours of working time per day in the core of working patrons.

The present study has geographically restricted to Karnataka State; focuses the confined of socio-economic position on contract labours, with special reference to Ballari district. The both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this present paper, this has carried Primary and Secondary data. The primary data have gathered through appropriately framed questions under the interview schedules with structured programs. A secondary data has been collected from the published valued sources such as various articles, books, periodicals, projects, literatures and reports on the subject. For congregating the latest information on the topic, E-sources also consulted.

The working hours per day of the respondents in study area has shown in below table along with research chart. The above table along with the research chart reveals that, the majority of 79.3 percentage respondents have been working for 8 hours per day, 0.3 percent has been working for 9 hours, 1 percent has been working for 10 hours, and 19.3 percent of the respondents are working more than 10 hours per day. Hence the hypothesis set for the study, “Significantly, the majority of the contract labourers in industries are joined under Contractor as well mainstream, they have 8 Hours of working time per day in the core of working patrons” has been verified, proved and it has accepted.

The optimal issues as well as most identified findings are as follows. • About 74 percent of the respondents agreed to work more hours to finish their targeted output / production within the prescribed time. However, these respondents are not aware about many of labour welfare scheme which has given by the government in Ballari district. • Majority 50.3 percent of the respondents were recruited through contractors. The recruitment through contractor is greater than other mode of recruitment in the sample of study. • The More experienced contract labours get more wages compared with a less experienced in the study area. • The correlation between Work Experience and Monthly Income are coming under significant relationship. Hence, the nature of

On the scrutiny of our above study, the following suggestions are as follows. • The social security should be extended in well manner to cover safe drinking water, sanitation, health and education along with employment facilities for the society at large in Ballari district. • The provision for equal pay for equal work should be implemented without exception in study district. • Provisions with regard to hours of work, overtime, weekly off, paid holidays along with notifications issued by the appropriate government from time- to- time should be strictly enforced. • The provisions relating to maternity benefit, this should be enforced wherever the possibility of applicable. The appropriate safety provisions for labors should be implemented with commitment by providing P.P.E (Personal Protective Equipment) in a broad manner.

At the viewpoint of socio-economic conditions of contract labors, there is a much improvement for comparing the past to present. But the little fruitful updated entertainment facilities have to be introduced for contract labours especially in Ballari district. Because, Ballari is basically a very hot (excess of heat) district in Karnataka, also the mining is foremost practice of this district. In the core of Criticism, somewhere it has been identified that salary, honorarium, remuneration and government facilities are not providing in proper ways in particular time for contract labours. Either for negligence, mismatches, ignorance or getting delay the current features are not reaching for contract beneficiaries / labours. For interaction or interference of politics and lack of qualitative work assignment it is missing. But in future days Government have to care and concerned this in well supremacy. If it happened, automatically the contract labour‘s standard of living will raises in socio-economic aspects as well as the qualitative and quantitative outcome of productive development process from contract labours will also improve in sustainable manner.

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Ph.D Research Scholar, Department of Studies and Research in Social Work, V.S.K. University, Ballari, Karnataka mswbasamma@gmail.com