Ahmedabad metro: No salary slip to 82% workers, 65% paid less than Rs 350 a day

By Rajiv Shah
A new study carried out by the Bandhkam Mazdoor Sangathan (BMS), Gujarat’s biggest non-government organization (NGO) working for the welfare of construction workers in the state, has found that none of the workers working for the high profile Ahmedabad metro project, currently being implemented across the city, has been registered with the Gujarat Building and Other Construction Workers’ Board.
The board is supposed to look after various social welfare schemes for the benefit of construction workers, ranging from providing assistance for children’s education, maternity assistance and medical health aid, to death compensation if a worker suffer from fatal accident at a construction site. However, they avail of the facilities only in case they are registered with the board.

Awareness of social security

While the registration on paper is mandatory, ironically, so far only 30% of about 12 lakh construction workers in Gujarat have been registered with the board. The result is that, while the Gujarat government has collected a whopping Rs 1,900 crore from the chess from the construction sector at the rate of Rs 30 per sq metro, just about Rs 150 crore has so far been spent for workers’ welfare.

The study, which is based data collected by students of the master of labour welfare department, Gujarat University, as part of their internship programme, found that only 15% of metro workers have been registered under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), a Government of India organization which proves free medical care to workers, and only 2% are registered under the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF). As for other social security benefit, again, just 2% of the metro workers were found to be aware of them.

Daily salary in rupees

The study found that only 8% of construction workers are from Gujarat, while the rest are migrants – mainly from Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha. About 65% of workers are paid daily wage of between Rs 250 and 350, and another 32% are paid between Rs 350 and 450. Only 3% of the metro workers are paid the wage between Rs 500 and 600.
The study further found that 82% workers are not paid any slip for the wages they are given — possibly one of the reasons why they cannot get themselves registered with the state welfare board, which requires proof of employment and aadhaar ID as prerequisite for the welfare board registration.
The study further found that 21% of workers are not provided any paid holiday, while 6% workers are allowed holiday only once a month, 81% said there was no canteen where they could go and have snacks of lunch, 13% said there are no toilet facilities, and 53% said there was no “restrooms.”

About 41% of the metro workers said they did not have any formal education, while another 40% said they had completed secondary education. While only 6% of of those working at the Metro sites are aged 40 or more, the study found, 57% were married. Further, it found that 51% of workers were not paid any advance, 50% said that their wages were deposited once a month in their bank account, 32% said they received payments through contractors.
The study said, these condition of the high-profile Ahmedabad metro project is there despite the fact that constructions workers fall under Central and state laws, including the Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996; Payment of Wages Act, 1936; Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952; Workman Compensation Act, 1923; Interstate Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979; and Contract Labour Regulation and Abolition Act, 1970.

Status of domicile

A presentation on the study, forwarded by BMS’ Vipul Pandya to Counterview said, “The aim of this study was to understand the extent of application of law drafted with bona-fide intention of the government. For the purpose of this study a sample of 100 workers was chosen, and survey forms filled, which were spread across four sites, with 25 workers each, the sites being Drive-in Road section (Tata Orojects Ltd); Shahpur Char Rasta Section (L&T Ltd), and Usmanpura Section (Simplex Infrastructure Ltd), Visat Section (Ranjit Buildcon Pvt Ltd).”

Comments

RK said…

The great Gujarat model

August 19, 2018

Mallika Sarabhai said…

Awful. What can be done?

August 19, 2018

Anonymous said…

Well, this is not new. In all sectors if economy,situation is similar. We carried out study if textile workers of Surat and ther too, workers are n8t given pay slip, 12 hour shift, no minimum wages ti many and and so on. To clarify, ESI services are not free. Workers and employers are required to pay their contribution

August 20, 2018

Gram sabha as reformer: Mandla’s quiet challenge to the liquor economy

By Raj Kumar Sinha* This year, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on 23–24 December 2025. The event marks the passage of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), enacted by Parliament on 24 December 1996 to establish self-governance in Fifth Schedule areas. Scheduled Areas are those notified by the President of India under Article 244(1) read with the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for a distinct framework of governance recognising the autonomy of tribal regions. At present, Fifth Schedule areas exist in ten states: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. The PESA Act, 1996 empowers Gram Sabhas—the village assemblies—as the foundation of self-rule in these areas. Among the many powers devolved to them is the authority to take decisions on local matters, including the regulation...

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

When a city rebuilt forgets its builders: Migrant workers’ struggle for sanitation in Bhuj

Khasra Ground site By Aseem Mishra* Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not a privilege—it is a fundamental human right. This principle has been unequivocally recognised by the United Nations and repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court of India as intrinsic to the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Yet, for thousands of migrant workers living in Bhuj, this right remains elusive, exposing a troubling disconnect between constitutional guarantees, policy declarations, and lived reality.

Policy changes in rural employment scheme and the politics of nomenclature

By N.S. Venkataraman* The Government of India has introduced a revised rural employment programme by fine-tuning the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been in operation for nearly two decades. The MGNREGA scheme guarantees 100 days of employment annually to rural households and has primarily benefited populations in rural areas. The revised programme has been named VB-G RAM–G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin). The government has stated that the revised scheme incorporates several structural changes, including an increase in guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days, modifications in the financing pattern, provisions to strengthen unemployment allowances, and penalties for delays in wage payments. Given the extent of these changes, the government has argued that a new name is required to distinguish the revised programme from the existing MGNREGA framework. As has been witnessed in recent years, the introdu...

Rollback of right to work? VB–GRAM G Bill 'dilutes' statutory employment guarantee

By A Representative The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

'Structural sabotage': Concern over sector-limited job guarantee in new employment law

By A Representative The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has raised concerns over the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB–G RAM G), which was approved during the recently concluded session of Parliament amid protests by opposition members. The legislation is intended to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Making rigid distinctions between Indian and foreign 'historically untenable'

By A Representative Oral historian, filmmaker and cultural conservationist Sohail Hashmi has said that everyday practices related to attire, food and architecture in India reflect long histories of interaction and adaptation rather than rigid or exclusionary ideas of identity. He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian History Forum (IHF).

From jobless to ‘job-loss’ growth: Experts critique gig economy and fintech risks

By A Representative Leading economists and social activists gathered in the capital on Friday to launch the third edition of the State of Finance in India Report 2024-25 , issuing a stark warning that the rapid digitalization of the Indian economy is eroding welfare systems and entrenching "digital dystopia."

'Festive cheer fades': India’s housing market hits 17‑quarter slump, sales drop 16% in Q4 2025

By A Representative Housing sales across India’s nine major real estate markets fell to a 17‑quarter low in the October–December period of 2025, with overall absorption dropping 16% year‑on‑year to 98,019 units, according to NSE‑listed analytics firm PropEquity. This marks the weakest quarter since Q3 2021, despite the festive season that usually drives demand. On a sequential basis, sales slipped 2%, while new launches contracted by 4%.

Search This Blog