Labour pains: Look at the plight of the Commonwealth Games 2010 construction labourers

The Times of India - 22/10/09

For thousands of labourers and their families, working on the Commonwealth Games ‘‘world class’’ infrastructure projects has meant nothing more than the usual — they earn lower than the stipulated wage and have no access to even the most basic sanitation and health facilities.

Forty-four-year-old Tekchand (name changed), a head mason, worked at one of the Games sites for a meagre wage of Rs 100 after putting in long hours daily. He says even the number of toilets provided to the workers are inadequate. Tekchand had taken up work at the Shivaji Stadium Games site hoping work conditions would be better and the ‘‘world-class’’ character would trickle down to touch the lacklustre lives of construction workers as well. But he was soon disillusioned. ‘‘I used to work from 9.30am to 6pm for a measly amount of about Rs 100. Even on working late till 8pm, I would not be given any overtime,’’ he said.

Tekchand finally moved to an NDMC project involving the revamp of Hanuman Mandir.

According to estimates, nearly one lakh workers have been employed for the sports facilities and major infrastructural projects in Delhi. Three studies commissioned by the labour department of Delhi government, Commonwealth Games-Citizens for Workers, Women & Children (CWG-CWC) and People’s Union for Democratic Rights reflect that the working conditions for labourers have undergone very little change since the Asiad in 1982.

The study conducted by CWGCWC on a sample of 702 workers at 16 major Games sites revealed that 77% workers were unskilled or semiskilled while 83% were casual workers. Significantly, as many as 45% identified late payment, non-payment and low wages as the primary problems.

In a shocking revelation, a survey under the study estimated there were on an average 113 workers per toilet at the major sites.

An excerpt from the study carried out by the People’s Union for Democratic Rights at the Commonwealth Games Village site reads: ‘‘Unskilled workers at this site were getting Rs 85-Rs 100 per day for eight hours of work as against the stipulated minimum wage of Rs 142 till February 2009. No overtime is being paid as per the rules wherein a skilled worker should be paid Rs 284 for 12 hours of work. Instead, the workers are being paid Rs 150.’’