Internal Migration and Gender: Insights from Indian Labour Market S. K. Sasikumar, Senior Fellow V.V. Giri National Labour Institute ([email protected])

Internal Migration and Gender: Internal Migration and Gender: Insights from Indian Labour MarketInsights from Indian Labour Market

S. K. Sasikumar, Senior Fellow S. K. Sasikumar, Senior Fellow V.V. Giri National Labour InstituteV.V. Giri National Labour Institute

(([email protected]))

Presentation to thePresentation to the Institute of Social Studies Trust - Heinrich Böll Stiftung Institute of Social Studies Trust - Heinrich Böll Stiftung

Policy Discussion on: Migration – Policy Discussion on: Migration – Implications for Gender and EquityImplications for Gender and Equity

April 16, 2014April 16, 2014

Focus of the PresentationFocus of the Presentation

Conceptualising contemporary labour mobility and Conceptualising contemporary labour mobility and understanding migration paradoxunderstanding migration paradox

Emerging Issues in internal migration in India and its Emerging Issues in internal migration in India and its implications for gender and equity implications for gender and equity

Transformations in the Indian labour market and its Transformations in the Indian labour market and its impact on gender issues in migration impact on gender issues in migration

Towards evolving a gender sensitive migration Towards evolving a gender sensitive migration policy frameworkpolicy framework

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Conceptualising Contemporary Conceptualising Contemporary Labour MobilityLabour Mobility

Accelerated movement of people in search of Accelerated movement of people in search of

employment emerging as a key feature of the employment emerging as a key feature of the

contemporary world of workcontemporary world of work

However, there is a structural disarticulation However, there is a structural disarticulation

between economic growth and labour mobility – between economic growth and labour mobility –

“Migration Paradox” “Migration Paradox”

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Measurement IssuesMeasurement Issues Most migration indicators measure stocks of migrant Most migration indicators measure stocks of migrant

population and severely underenumerate migration population and severely underenumerate migration flowsflows

While life time migrants is adequately represented, While life time migrants is adequately represented, that of short term, seasonal, circular and commuting that of short term, seasonal, circular and commuting migration is inadequately measuredmigration is inadequately measured

Growing informalisation of employment relations Growing informalisation of employment relations and absorption of overwhelming proportion of and absorption of overwhelming proportion of migrants into informal economymigrants into informal economy

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Conceptualising Contemporary Conceptualising Contemporary Labour MobilityLabour Mobility

Internal Migration: Recent Trends Internal Migration: Recent Trends

Factors Modulating Labour FlowsFactors Modulating Labour Flows

Capitalist penetration in rural areas creating a pool Capitalist penetration in rural areas creating a pool of ‘mobile population’ who are in search of some of ‘mobile population’ who are in search of some means of livelihoodsmeans of livelihoods

Informal networks, including personal networks, Informal networks, including personal networks, emerging as the dominant agency which is emerging as the dominant agency which is perpetuating contemporary migrationperpetuating contemporary migration

Accordingly, a sizeable proportion of migrants are Accordingly, a sizeable proportion of migrants are not recruited through contractors not recruited through contractors

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Internal Migration: Recent Trends Internal Migration: Recent Trends

Migrant Labour MarketMigrant Labour Market

Several occupations in major receiving regions Several occupations in major receiving regions becoming ‘migrant-centric’ (domestics, informal becoming ‘migrant-centric’ (domestics, informal transport, hawkers)transport, hawkers)

Substantial proportion of those migrants engaged in Substantial proportion of those migrants engaged in lower end of the job hierarchy lower end of the job hierarchy In construction more than 90 per cent of the migrant In construction more than 90 per cent of the migrant

workers are engaged as unskilled workers/helpersworkers are engaged as unskilled workers/helpers For women, in the lowest level of occupational hierarchy, For women, in the lowest level of occupational hierarchy,

pprospects for upward occupational mobility more or less rospects for upward occupational mobility more or less absentabsent

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Migrant Labour MarketMigrant Labour Market

Growing irregularity of employment for migrants in Growing irregularity of employment for migrants in the destination regionsthe destination regions

Wage-cost reduction, a key incentive to deploy Wage-cost reduction, a key incentive to deploy migrant workersmigrant workers

Prevailing wages in most migrant-centric occupations Prevailing wages in most migrant-centric occupations tend to be below the prescribed minimum wagestend to be below the prescribed minimum wages

Increasing intolerance towards migrant workers Increasing intolerance towards migrant workers 77

Internal Migration: Recent TrendsInternal Migration: Recent Trends

Entitlement of Migrant WorkersEntitlement of Migrant Workers

Migrants often encounter weak entitlements at the Migrants often encounter weak entitlements at the destinationdestination

They are denied access to benefits under public They are denied access to benefits under public distribution system distribution system

Many studies report denial of treatment to migrant Many studies report denial of treatment to migrant workers in government hospitalsworkers in government hospitals

As a result most of the migrants encounter social and As a result most of the migrants encounter social and economic insecurity, this seems to be particularly economic insecurity, this seems to be particularly true for women migrantstrue for women migrants

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Internal Migration: Recent Trends Internal Migration: Recent Trends

Organisation and AwarenessOrganisation and Awareness

Large segment of the migrant workers remain Large segment of the migrant workers remain unorganised and hence have very weak bargaining unorganised and hence have very weak bargaining powerpower

Awareness among the migrant workers on their Awareness among the migrant workers on their rights and entitlements are relatively very lowrights and entitlements are relatively very low

Weak implementation of various labour legislations Weak implementation of various labour legislations targeted towards migrant workerstargeted towards migrant workers

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Internal Migration: Recent Trends Internal Migration: Recent Trends

Organisation and AwarenessOrganisation and Awareness

Recent evidences point to increasing effort towards Recent evidences point to increasing effort towards encouraging collectivity among migrants and encouraging collectivity among migrants and improving their awarenessimproving their awareness

Such instances though minimal have positive Such instances though minimal have positive influences on improving the social and economic influences on improving the social and economic conditions of migrant workers (organising of conditions of migrant workers (organising of construction workers, organising of street vendors, construction workers, organising of street vendors, organising of domestic maids, organising of contract organising of domestic maids, organising of contract workers)workers)

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Internal Migration: Recent Trends Internal Migration: Recent Trends

Interconnect of Labour Market Interconnect of Labour Market Trends and Migration Trends and Migration

Indian labour market in the midst of a major Indian labour market in the midst of a major structural changestructural change

Movement from agriculture gaining momentum in Movement from agriculture gaining momentum in recent yearsrecent years

Most of such flows are directed to construction Most of such flows are directed to construction with low skill content and productivity levelswith low skill content and productivity levels

Strong need to facilitate structural mobilityStrong need to facilitate structural mobility

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Interconnect of Labour Market Interconnect of Labour Market Trends and Migration Trends and Migration

Accelerated pace of informalisation of the Accelerated pace of informalisation of the organised sector labour marketorganised sector labour market

Significant proportion of those engaged as informal Significant proportion of those engaged as informal labour are migrants and those belonging to the labour are migrants and those belonging to the socially disadvantagedsocially disadvantaged

Ensuring social security entitlements very critical to Ensuring social security entitlements very critical to protect the informal workers and promote equityprotect the informal workers and promote equity

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Evolving Gender Sensitive Responses to Evolving Gender Sensitive Responses to Migration: Way ForwardMigration: Way Forward

Need to view internal labour mobility within the Need to view internal labour mobility within the

framework of migration and developmentframework of migration and development

Better co-ordination between various stakeholders Better co-ordination between various stakeholders

working on migrationworking on migration

Improve skills and bargaining power of migrants and Improve skills and bargaining power of migrants and

regulate conditions of workregulate conditions of work

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Need to revise Inter State Migrant Workmen Need to revise Inter State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 in the context of:Act, 1979 in the context of:

Inadequate coverage of legislationInadequate coverage of legislation Lack of benefits accruing to the migrant workers Lack of benefits accruing to the migrant workers

Problems related to the portability benefitsProblems related to the portability benefits Lack of guidelines for Inter State CoordinationLack of guidelines for Inter State Coordination Lack of sufficient penalty/conviction for violation of the Lack of sufficient penalty/conviction for violation of the

ActAct Delays in settlement of claimsDelays in settlement of claims

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Evolving Gender Sensitive Responses to Evolving Gender Sensitive Responses to Migration: Way ForwardMigration: Way Forward

Set up Migrant Resource Centre at major regions of Set up Migrant Resource Centre at major regions of labour origin and destinationlabour origin and destination

Improve information base on migration—gender Improve information base on migration—gender disaggregated data, addressing definitional disaggregated data, addressing definitional problems, reliability and frequency of dataproblems, reliability and frequency of data

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Evolving Gender Sensitive Responses to Evolving Gender Sensitive Responses to Migration: Way ForwardMigration: Way Forward

Thank YouThank You

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