LABOUR LOG: 13 Workers Died at Workplace Last Week, Mostly on Construction Sites

India has an abysmal record in unsafe working conditions, poor wages and worker deaths at workplace, more so in what is called the informal or unorganised sector, especially on construction sites, in mines or while cleaning sewage. Most of these workers are migrant contractual workers or daily wagers, who are deprived of social security and other benefits. NewsClick tries to collate some of the stories of protests and deaths in the world of labour in the past one week that usually lie buried in newspapers.

Mumbai: Construction Worker Falls to Death in Jogeshwari

On March 15, a 19-year-old labourer died after falling from an under-construction building in Jogeshwari, Mumbai. The contractor has been booked for not following safety measures.

“On inquiry, we learned that the contractor had failed to provide the workers with essential safety gear such as helmets, harnesses, and appropriate footwear, nor had they installed safety nets to mitigate fall hazards,” a police officer said, as reported in The Hindustan Times.

Haryana: Labourer Falls and Dies While Painting Gurugram Building

On March 14, a 32-year-old construction worker, Farid, fell and died in Gurugram in Haryana, while doing painting work in a new building. The deceased is survived by his wife and three children.

 According to the deceased's family members, Farid, who hailed from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, was assigned painting work on the second floor without the provision of any safety equipment such as net or harness, PTI reported.

The deceased's brother Rahish said that apart from the contractor, Salim, the house owner Bhagat Singh Kataria was negligent in making safety arrangements and installing the required equipment.

UP: 4 Workers Killed After Portion of Quarry Collapses

On March 12, four workers were killed in abrai town in UP’s Mahoba district when part of the quarry collapsed where they were doing mining work. The workers were found buried under the debris. Seven workers were reported to be injured.

The deceased were identified as Prem Chandra Khushwaha (19), Ramphool (32), Rammilan Khushwaha (35) and Kuldeep Raikwar (20).

Divisional Commissioner Bal Krishna Tripathi told PTI that “Precautions should have been taken while working in the mine… action will be taken against the guilty.”

According to Hindustan Times, “the rocks at the top of the quarry had been loosened by recent blasts, disintegrated, and fell onto the workers who were working without any safety gear.”

Mumbai: 3 Construction Workers Die as Scaffolding Collapses

On March 12, three workers were killed at an under-construction building site when the scaffolding on the 16th floor collapsed in Mumbai’s Borivali suburb. One worker was critically injured.

The deceased workers were identified as Manoranjan Samaj, 42, Shankar Badiya, 25, and Piyush Sardar, 38. The injured worker, Sushil Gupta, 35, is critical, as per reports.

As per reports, the workers had been shifting a concrete platform to upper floors of the under-construction 24-floor Soni Arkade building when they fell into a duct on the ground.

This is yet another incident that raises concerns about workplace safety, especially for construction workers. The police said it had filed a case against three individuals including the building contractor and a site engineer under IPC sections 304A (causing death by negligence) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others).

The FIR said the workers were not provided adequate safety gear and were made to work at a dangerous location. 

What is more revealing is that a civic official told Times of India that those flouting the safety norms claimed they were not even aware of any such norms.

HP: 3 Jharkhand Workers on Hydel Project Site Killed

On March 11, three migrant labourers from Gumla in Jharkhand, working on a hydel project site in Bhaba Valley of Kinnaur, were killed in an avalanche.

Simon Kindo, 42, Biriya Oraon, 53 and Ratanlal Oraon, all tribals from the same village were having lunch on the worksite when the avalanche swallowed them. One worker from Nepal was reportedly injured.

Assam: Brick Kiln Worker Killed After Rape in Darrang 

In another case highlighting unsafe working conditions, a woman daily wage worker working in a brick kiln in Naodinga village in Assam’s Darrang district was murdered after being sexually assaulted, EastMojo reported on March 10. Two people have been arrested.

According to the report, the woman was reported missing on March 7, after which an official complaint was lodged. Her body was recovered from the smoke channel of the kiln.

The dead woman reportedly hailed from Kokrajhar district and had moved to Naodinga village to work at the brick kiln along with her husband.

Punjab: Jobless Teachers Protest in Abohar 

On March 10, 2024, in Punjab’s Abohar, the ETT-TET Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union organised a protest ahead of the state agriculture minister’s visit in Killianwali village.

The protesters were demanding that the government fulfill its promises made during the elections, according union leaders Balihar Singh and Bunty Kamboj  During the protest, nine jobless teachers were taken into preventive custody, said a report The Tribune.