Sweat and tears

In the mad rush to meet the deadline for the upcoming Commonwealth games, the Delhi Metro is ignoring the health and well-being of its workers. The result could be disastrous
Sadiq Naqvi Delhi

For Manoj, Delhi was a land of thousand promises. He left his home in the Maoist-affected Palamau, Jharkhand in search of greener pastures. "My family would have starved to death had I not come here. Whatever little I got at least kept us alive," he says. He is one of a group of workers who had gathered at a trade union's office on Diwali eve. Reason: They have not been paid their wages for the last two months. All they got was a paltry allowance.

These men work at a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) site managed by Larsen and Toubro near Udyog Bhawan. During Diwali, they demanded their due. But the contractor rebuked them citing shortage of funds for non-payment.

Hardnews spoke to the sub-contractor, who had employed these workers. He said, "We pay wages on time but these workers ran away without informing us." The workers, however, claimed they were never paid wages on time, leave alone other benefits or medical facilities.
These men in yellow helmets live in inhuman conditions. Most of the workers have to pay for their accommodation or squeeze with a dozen others in a single room provided by the contractor. Many live in tin shacks without basic toilet facilities.
Drought and unemployment have forced most of these men migrate to Delhi. Even the much-hyped NREGS has not been able to stem the tide of migration of labour.

Manoj's monthly job card tells a story of exploitation of these construction workers. In August, he worked twice for 55 hours at a stretch with just an hour's break in between. He managed a short nap once in a while. Labour laws clearly state that no person can be asked to work for more than 12 hours in a day. Moreover, the payment for the overtime should be made at double the rate of the existing minimum wages.

The DMRC has increased the minimum wages to Rs 180 for eight hours of work. Another worker, Balram Tiwary, said, "Instead of Rs 315, we are paid Rs 140 for working 12 hours at a stretch. They don't count the one-hour lunch break." Overtime is seldom paid. The booty, which the sub-contractors manage to save, is shared among themselves.

"If we ask the contractor to pay as per the rules, he asks us to leave the job," Sunil told Hardnews. Twelve-hour work is a normal practice at almost all DMRC sites. When Hardnews contacted the joint labour commissioner in Delhi about this, he bluntly said "We can't do anything because the DMRC is not in our jurisdiction." The regional labour commissioner's office also refused to comment.

For the labourers, the job is for a short stint as the construction work will end in a stipulated time period. DMRC sources revealed that contractors get workers from Jharkhand and West Bengal for just 49 days. Their families are paid a one-time sum of Rs 3,500. After the work is over, they have to return to their villages. The fare of the journey is borne by the contractor.

But, the contractor charges for the safety equipment provided to workers. They are supposed to give these equipment for free. "I paid Rs 60 for my helmet, Rs 350 for my shoes and another Rs 100 for a fluorescent jacket," said Munshi.

The DMRC project has been hailed as a social project. Often, elusive profits are contributed towards social cause. However, the DMRC management has turned a blind eye towards the appalling condition of more than 40,000 workers toiling at DMRC sites.