BV Bhosale, professor, department of sociology, University of Mumbai, is an expert on the labour sector and has worked on the sociology of the informal sector. Bhosale spoke to dna's Dhaval Kulkarni on issues regarding the changing scenario in the labour sector and the decline of the traditional labour unions. He pointed out that while the manufacturing sector was on a decline, service sector employment is on a rise and blamed traditional labour unions for not moving beyond the semantics and concerns regarding wages and bonus to address concerns of the unorganised sector workers. Excerpts:
What is the present state of the labour movement?
The conditions are depressing. After 1991, the labour movement went into a decline and fragmented. This holds true not just for Mumbai but also for other places in India. This is also happening in European countries and, because of this, a new kind of uprising is taking place there with anger about economic reforms and privatisation. In India, manufacturing and production activities are not taking place at one location, they have dispersed to different places. Many units have shifted to Gujarat from Mumbai due to which workers are angry as they have to move to a new place while their families are here. Outsourcing is on the rise and due to contract labour, the core labour is on the decline. Hence, the strength and membership of labour unions is also falling. Contract labour has no bargaining power. Labour from outside states can be found in non-industrial and service sectors to make up for lack of labour from within the state. Locals want white-collar jobs.
Mumbai could emerge as a metropolis and a commercial hub due to the textile mills, engineering, port and railways of which the first two are almost wiped out and the traffic at port is said to be on the decline. How will this affect Mumbai as a whole?
The service industry and the IT sector are on the rise, along with call centres and the hotel industry. Mumbai's graph is swinging towards service sector employment while the manufacturing sector is on the decline. Informal employment is also rising. The Arjun Sengupta report shows that around 7% of the labour force is in the formal sector and the rest in the informal sector. However, all state policies are directed towards this formal sector while the remaining people are overlooked and their potential is not exploited. Industries secured units at throwaway prices but when real estate prices rose, they closed down production and ventured into real estate. This has affected Mumbai. New industries such as the service sector, including hotels, food chains, tourism, cosmetics and hospitality coming up with investment being directed to it. The people employed in it do not have much education. But, this boom will not last.
Where did traditional labour unions fall short?
The traditional labour movement looked at only its own benefits. They were very selfish and focussed only on bonus, salary hikes and welfare and seldom moved beyond it to cover issues affecting contract and temporary workers and the informal sector. If the labour unions had taken up these issues before they went into a decline, I am sure that industrial units would not have left Mumbai for other areas.
What is the future of the labour movement likely to be? Will unions get into the tough job of trying to unionise the informal sector?
Some unions have already started building unions in the unorganised and informal sector. They also entered the IT sector. The IT and BPO sectors involve high stress and wear and tear of the human bodies, including those of women. Earlier, the jobs of workers did not involve such stress. Addictions and frustrations among these employees are also on a rise. Some unions have begun organising hawkers who operate on footpaths while others have organised gatai kamgars (cobblers) who work in Mumbai.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}