Lockdown woes: Over 40% labourers relocate to Pune-Mumbai over fear of losing jobs

Due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases, lakhs of labourers migrated from Mumbai and Pune to their respective villages. Some reached their village by bicycle while others travelled on foot. However, as soon as the lockdown was relaxed, the workers who returned to the village decided to go back to the cities for work again. The fear of losing their jobs is worrying them. Workers have begun migrating to the big cities again as they fear to lose their jobs.

Beed (Maharashtra):Over 40 per cent of migrants, who were stranded away from their native places in Mumbai and Pune, due to coronavirus-forced lockdown, had to pay for their journey back home but still struggling to get a job there and started again migrating towards the city, sources informed.

According to sources, due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases, lakhs of labourers migrated from Mumbai and Pune to their respective villages. Some reached their village by bicycle while others travelled on foot.

However, as soon as the lockdown was relaxed, the workers who returned to the village decided to go back to the cities for work again.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Ashok Tangde, a social activist said," The Jaguar Pratishthan's survey revealed relevant information. The fear of losing their jobs was worrying them. Workers have begun migrating to the big cities again as they fear to lose their jobs."

"Beed is a district of sugarcane workers. More than seven and a half to eight lakh labourers go to different districts every year for sugarcane harvesting. Apart from sugarcane workers, other labourers also work part-time in big cities like Pune and Mumbai. Because of the nature of their engagements, the migrant workers do not have any permanent accommodation in the city and are forced to return to their villages," he said.

"With the exception of sugarcane workers, more than 1.25 lakh small and medium-sized workers had returned to Beed district after the curfew was lifted. More than 40 per cent of these workers are relocating over the fear of losing their jobs," he said.

With hordes of migrants, students and others returning to villages, the unwillingness showed by some of them to go into quarantine as a precautionary measure are causing frictions within village communities, sources said.

There are a total of 1,404 villages in Beed district. Jagar Pratishthan's work is carried out in the district. A survey of labourers in the district was conducted to find out the mentality of the labourers who returned to the village during the lockdown.

In the fifth phase of the lockdown, the government increased the relaxation of the rules imposed. Small and big companies began opening up in metros.

However, as the labourers from Mumbai and Pune returned to the village, there was a shortage of labourers in these places. Due to this, contractors are making arrangements to bring the workers back in every possible way they can.

"More than three lakh labourers had returned to the village after the lockdown began during the nationwide lockdown in the wake of Coronavirus. During this period, after staying in the village for two and a half months, it was time for the workers to return to the cities or stay hungry. This caused them to struggle to get back to the city," Tangde said.

Labourers relocate to cities to save their jobs

There is no work in the village for the workers who came to the village. Not just this, they also had to fight for basic amenities.

Workers in the city are reportedly receiving phone calls after the lockdown rules were relaxed. The workers are returning to the city out of fear of they being replaced by another labourer if they do not turn up for work.

Meanwhile, more than 40 per cent of the labourers from 45 to 50 villages have started to leave their villages again to Pune and Mumbai in search of work.