Migrant labourers much in demand

They form 90% of city’s construction workforce

PUNE: Pune’s booming construction industry draws 90% of its manpower from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan.

“Just as Maharashtrian workers should get opportunities to work here, so should everybody else,” said Nitin Pawar, general secretary of Bandhkam Majdoor Sabha.

The state-wide union has decided to intervene if the situation worsens. “The poor man should not suffer. Labourers are sourced from villages in north India by contractors settled in Pune. They live in shanties on construction sites and do not have much contact with the local population,” the general secretary said.

Migrant labourers are engaged in jobs which demand hard work. “Maharashtrian workers who also work on construction sites do value-added jobs such as plumbing,”  Pawar said, adding, “Should we differentiate between Marathis and non-Marathis?”

t_dinesh@dnaindia.net