In Goa, when we look at the issue of
migrant youth workers, most of us suffer from our hangover of the caste system and of
the anti -union movement. The psyche of the caste system is nothing but a
tendency to regard all those who are not similar to us with contempt or hatred
(P. Talpankar 2006).
1.1 Informal sector in Goa
Rapid industrialization and following development of tourism
industry led to an increase in the white-collar jobs and technical jobs. Also,
because of sudden development various informal sectors like construction, home
based industry service etc. Led to the growth in the informal sectors in Goa
generated a great demand for unskilled as well as skilled labour.
1.2 Progress in Goa
The major factor has been motivated growth in the tourism
sector, where large arrivals of domestic and foreign tourists has demanded the
building of the necessary infrastructure to accommodate as well as entertain
them along with this construction industry came into existence since then. The
tiny little state of Goa has a long history of Migration. A look at history
shows that every people have come from outside Goa and settled here, and that
local Goans have gone to other parts of India and the world to earn a living.
1.7 Scope and limitation of the study
Goa state is very small with limited land but today it’s become
a hub of the construction industry. The research is on the migrant youth
workers, who don’t have permanent residence or permanent work. The researcher
therefore, studied only respondents from five different areas, which are Mapusa,
Porviom, Ponda, Panjim and Majorda.
Limitation that the researcher faced was that 15 of the
respondents were Orisha tribals therefore the language could have been a
barrier for the respondents to understand the researcher’s questions.
Working conditions of the Respondents in Goa
It can be safely inferred from graph no. 20, that 45 percent of
the respondents work for 9 hours daily whereas 20 percent work up to 10 hours
daily. A significant 5 percent of the respondents work above 11 hours daily
since sometimes they get involved in taking contract of a particular area to
fix or arrange and 30 percent of them work around 8 hours daily as per the
requirement of the construction site. It all depends up the contractor,
sometime he gives break early and other days late night, very often overtime
wages are not given.
Source of Employment
Contractors play an important role in allotting the job for the
youth at the construction site. Industrialist gives contract for the
construction to various contractors. Those youth have come through their
friends to work for the job, only contractor will take them as per his
requirement and who is skilled in a particular talent. Nearly 51 percent of
migrant’s youth work under the contractor directly.
Plans of going back
40 percent of the respondents have plans of going back to the
place of origin and settle in their life by after getting trained in some
skilled works and after earning enough money in Goa. None of them have
expressed desire to remain in Goa, basically they are here to make their living
condition better. About 18.3 percent wants to get involved in agriculture
fields and cultivate grains. Just about 15 percent have a desire to build their
houses in proper material.
Major findings of the study on Tribal migrant youth in
construction sector in Goa:
1. Around 46.7 percent were between 21-25 years of age group and
the youngest migrant youth worker was found to be 16 years old. The researcher
found out that unemployment, low wages and family poverty are major factors for
migrating to another place, and also the peer group support to help one another
in their struggles of earning better living. Due to lack of industrial job
facilities in their respective villages, they migrate and earn their living.
2. The researcher found out that nearly 50 percent of the
respondents were without employment at home, they worked at home or in their
fields, which means they had no added source of income to the family; they
worked in unskilled sector.
3. There is a strong relationship between Migration and
education. The researcher was able to find out education qualification of
migrant youth worker was maximum, the overall picture of the level of education
shows that 80 percent of the youth workers force in the construction sector had
their schooling. In general, low-income, lack of job facilities, more educated
youth are likely to migrate, due to a combination of greater aspirations and
lack of appropriate employment in their surroundings.
4. The researcher has found out that in the year 2015-16, most
of the migrant’s youth came to Goa in the search of better job opportunities
and better standard of living. 35 percent of migrant’s youth entered in to the
construction industry. In the year 2015 there was drought in Jharkhand, so for
the youth there no chance of employment, most of them an alternative to come to
Goa into construction industry. Since they had heard that they would be job
opportunities into construction site.
5. The findings also say that among those who visit their place
of origin, 70 percent of the respondents travel back to their native in summer.
Many respondents in their personal interview informed the researcher that they
travel in summer mainly because they visit and help out in preparing the fields
for the cultivations. At the same time, they also celebrate and other festivals
and back for the work. They do not want to stay in their place of origin mainly
because of poor economic.
6. The living condition of the respondents reveals that 48.3
percent of the respondents do not own houses; they hire the rooms on rent. The
contractor does not provide them accommodations and decent facilities. Around
26.7 percent of migrant youth stay at the construction site as their shelter
with no proper, decent facilities around.
7. The researcher found out that 26.7 percent of the interviewed
are still not getting decent facilities, still have been exploited and deprived
of their basic access they have been asked to work long hours, are paid low
wages and work in unsafe environments, besides the other ills of social
isolation and poor access to basic services, such as education, water,
sanitation and health.
8. Over time wages are not given to the respondents as per the
agreement, since there is nothing in written. All the agreements are done orally
not in proper way of written format. Nearly 20 percent of migrant workers work
for eleven hours a day.
Recommendation to the Government
At the policy level the problems such as rural poverty needs to
be taken more seriously. It forms one of the major factors that push people out
of the rural parts of the country.
Monitor and review the impact of existing policies, schemes and
programs for the unorganized workers such as the unorganized workers social
security Act, 2008, Minimum wages Act, Equal Remuneration Act etc.
The rural parts of the country lack livelihood options in view
of already decaying agriculture. Rural population dependent on agriculture with
no relevant livelihood alternatives in the villages. The government
interventions like MGNREGA have failed to address these issues due to much
inefficiency.
Conclusion
Migration from rural to urban in intra state is increasing gradually with industrialization and modernization in India. The main reason for migration is employment, Poverty etc. The ratio comparison of male and female migration; where male migration constitutes the highest level of migration in India. This shows that female usually migrates as accompanists of males through several other factors like after marriage or family transfer. But with the recent survey single females are also slowly increasingly moving out in search of a job. Due to this poor population laborer have been poorly paid and exploited, and thus by increasing in inequality in the society.