Answer

India’s construction sector plays a pivotal role in shaping urban landscapes and supporting economic growth. Despite their critical role in urban infrastructure, these workers face precarious employment, poor living conditions, and inadequate social security. The lack of formal contracts, healthcare access, and wage protection underscores deeper structural issues beyond mere labor shortages.

Labour Shortages and Structural Issues

• Lack of Social Security: Construction workers face inconsistent access to welfare benefits due to complex documentation and registration processes.
  For example: States yet to use ₹70,744 cr. funds for the welfare of construction workers.
• Employment Fragmentation: Migrant labourers experience frequent relocations, leading to job insecurity and wage inconsistencies.
• Cumbersome Welfare Access: Workers struggle with documentation requirements, especially for employment proof, causing delays in availing benefits.
  For example: Employers often refuse to issue work certificates, making it difficult for workers to prove eligibility.
• Lack of Digital Infrastructure: The absence of centralized databases leads to delays in benefit disbursement.
  For example: During pollution-related construction bans, workers faced administrative delays in receiving financial relief.
• Health and Safety Risks: Hazardous working conditions and seasonal disruptions add to economic vulnerability.
  For example: Heat waves and monsoon disruptions cause job losses, yet workers struggle to access financial support.

Challenges Faced by Migrant Workers

Welfare Access

• Inter-State Benefit Restrictions: Workers cannot transfer benefits across states, leading to welfare discontinuity.
• Delayed Direct Benefit Transfers: Lack of Aadhaar integration and real-time tracking slows financial aid distribution.
  For example: Workers affected by air pollution bans struggled to receive timely compensation.

Job Security

• Informal Employment Contracts: Lack of formal agreements increases vulnerability to sudden job loss.
  For example: Many construction workers are hired on daily wages, with no severance pay or job continuity.
• Exploitation by Contractors: Middlemen often underpay and withhold wages, exploiting workers’ dependency.
  For example: Contractors fail to provide employment records, preventing workers from accessing government benefits.

Working Conditions

• Unsafe Work Environments: Workers face hazardous conditions with minimal protective measures.
  For example: Limited safety gear and training result in frequent workplace accidents.
• Poor Living Conditions: Inadequate housing and sanitation impact workers’ health and productivity.
  For example: Migrant workers live in makeshift camps with no proper water or electricity supply.

Reforms to Address These Issues

• Inter-State Welfare Portability: Implement a One Nation One Labour ID system linked to UAN for seamless benefit access.
  For example: e-Shram integration would allow workers to receive benefits regardless of relocation.
• Centralized Digital Welfare Platform: Use Aadhaar-based verification and real-time tracking to streamline welfare access.
  For example: A central portal can automate registration and direct fund transfers to workers.
• Simplified Documentation Process: Allow alternative proofs like self-certification or trade union verification.
  For example: On-site registration camps can ensure accurate worker records without employer dependency.
• Workplace Safety and Dignity: Enforce mandatory safety audits and better living conditions for workers.
  For example: Construction firms can provide PPE kits, medical insurance, and proper housing to ensure worker well-being.
• Skill Development for Stability: Establish structured training programs to create a skilled, employable workforce.
  For example: Public-private partnerships in vocational training can enhance productivity and job retention.

Labour shortages in construction reflect structural flaws like informal employment, poor wages, skill gaps, and seasonal migration. Solutions lie in formalizing contracts, enhancing skill training under PMKVY, ensuring social security, and improving working conditions. Leveraging automation, urban housing policies, and inclusive labor laws can create a resilient, productive workforce for sustained growth.

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