Empowering Migrant Construction Workers

By Author: Sampark
Total Articles: 9
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INVISIBLE CITIZENS OF INDIA

Construction sites in Indian urban centres are major employers of migrants from rural areas. Most inter and intra-state migrant workers are illiterate and unskilled, which makes them highly vulnerable to exploitation.

Their living conditions are very poor, and the workers stay in small sheds, either at the construction sites/basement, at neighbouring vacant sites or on the roadside. Migrant workers’ living conditions are often substandard and there is no provision for clean drinking water, toilets and sanitation.

These workers do not have access to fair price shops, hospitals, crèches or schools for their children. Migrant workers are the most exploited and disenfranchised with no access to their entitlements both at source village and destination city. Plight of migrant workers and their human rights became crystal clear during the COVID19 pandemic lockdown.

WHAT SAMPARK DOES?

Sampark creates awareness among migrant workers about their entitlements in various sectors such as health, education, finance, social security and legal ...
... aid, and increases access to these entitlements to improve their livelihoods. These are achieved through the setting up of Workers Resource Centres (WRCs), and implementing activities of awareness raising, information provision, and linkages.

WRC is the one-stop place for migrant workers for all their information needs and required support to access their entitlements. Sampark runs 3 WRCs in Bangalore and operates a migrant support helpline 080-68972050 to provide them the convenience to access information from anywhere.

Construction sites within the reach of WRCs are approached by field team to offer services to construction workers. Various awareness programmes and health camps are conducted at site/labor colonies. Sampark currently works in 70 labour colonies in various locations in Bangalore.