Activities Of Labour Welfare Organistion, Govt. Of India, Ministry Of Labour & Employment, Bangalore Region, Bangalore

The Office of the Welfare Commissioner, Bangalore was set up in the Year 1964 to provide various measures to the workers engaged in the Unorganised Sector.

Basic definition of the Unorganised workers goes as “unorganised sector worker” means a home based worker, self-employed worker or a wage worker in the unorganised sector.
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There are various kind of workers who comes under the definition of unorganised workers like street vendors, domestic workers, construction workers, agarbatti rolling workers, engaged in manufacture of fireworks, toddy workers, salt extraction  workers, fishrmen etc, which is much more wide and scattered around the country.

However this organisation has been entrusted with the task of implementation of various Welfare Schemes to the workers engaged in Beedi Rolling, the workers engaged in the Iron/ Manganese/ Chrome Ore Mines, the workers engaged in Limestone & Dolomite Mines (Mine Workers), the workers engaged in Cinema Making Units.
 
Beedi Rolling
Any Worker engaged in the manufacture of Beedi directly or through any agency, whether for wages or not, in any establishments (or go down) to do any work, skilled, unskilled, manual or clerical etc.

There approximate 3,00,000 Beedi workers in Karnataka scattered in districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysore, Bangalore, Tumkur, etc.

Most of the workers are from very poor background who lack basic education, health facilities and do not have recreational facilities. TB, Cancer and diseases related to Heart and Kidney are very wide spread amongst the workers. Most of the workers are women Beedi Workers as it is convenient for them to work from their Homes.
 
Mine Workers
Any workers engaged within the premises or in the vicinity of a Mine by the Owner, Agent or Manager, Contractor in any Mining activities involved such as Operation, Servicing, Maintenance, Loading, Unloading, work pertaining to Office, Canteen or any of the work related to the health sanitary or conservancy services.

The workers engaged in mining operations are also  very poor and are devoid of education, health facilities, recreational facilities. The workers are poorly paid. The workers are exposed to various health hazards relating to respiratory disorders, fatal accidents, unhealthy working conditions which lead to occupational disorders.
 
Cine Workers
Any individual engaged employed directly or through contract in the making of a feature film to work as an artist, actor, musician or a dancer or to do any work skilled, unskilled or manual technical or otherwise.

The Cine Workers comes from very poor background and work at odd hours like various shifts without adequate rest, which effects their mental and emotional balance. The cine workers are also prone to suffer various health problems and sometimes meet with accidents which make them crippled for a lifetime.

Nine regions are set up for proper implementation of Welfare Schemes in Ministry of Labour & Employment, New Delhi
1. Allahabad. (Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab & J&K)
2. Ajmer (Rajasthan, Gujarat & Haryana)
3. Bangalore (Karnataka, Kerala & Lakshadeep)
4. Bhubaneshwar (Orissa,)
5. Kolkata, (West Bengal, North Eastern States),
6. Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Pondy, A&N Islands)
7. Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh)
8. Nagpur (Maharashtra, Goa)
9. Karma (Bihar)

The Labour Welfare Organisation, is operating four funds for the Welfare of the above mentioned category of Unorganised Workers.
1. The Beedi Workers Welfare Fund.
2. The Iron Manganese Chrome Ore Mines Labour Welfare Fund.
3. The Limestone & Dolomite Mines Labour Welfare Fund.
4. The Cine Workers Welfare Fund.

There are Central Advisory Committees for  each of the funds above constituting of Employees and Employers representatives and Govt.representatives to monitor the implementation of the Schemes and to put forth their ideas for the upliftment of these workers. Similarly there is a State Advisory Committee for each State which also monitors the implementation of the various schemes in their respective states.

The Welfare Funds are financed through a levy of cess at the rates varying from Rs. 1/- to Rs. 6 /-depending on the number or tones. As far as Cine Workers Welfare Fund, Rs 10,000/ each is collected from each Regional film and Rs.20,000 is collected for each Hindi and English films. These cess is collected by various Central authorities are deposited at consolidated fund monitored by the Finance Ministry in New Delhi and are allotted every year as per the requirement proposed by the regional Heads.

The Welfare Commissioner, Bangalore is the implementing authority of the Welfare Schemes and collecting Cess for the State of Karnataka and Kerala. To assist the Welfare Commissioner, a Deputy Welfare Commissioner, and An Assistant Welfare Commissioner and Welfare Administrators and other required staffs are posted to monitor the implementation of the schemes.
 
Various Welfare Schemes are framed under following major Heads.
1. Educational Scheme
2. Health Schemes
3. Recreational Schemes
4. Housing Schemes
5. Social Security Schemes
There are two hospitals located at Mysore and Yadgir and 39 dispensaries are established in Karnataka and Kerala in the vicinity of these workers for extending free medical treatment and also to educate the workers on the criteria of all schemes and the procedure involved to avail benefits of the schemes. We have regular visits to their work spots and motivate to avail all above benefits. the workers should have a valid Identity Card and should be registered in these Dispensaries & Hospital to avail the benefits of the schemes.
 
New Initiatives
The workers in the Beedi Industry are migrating to the other lucrative industries due to low wages, un hygienic working conditions etc. Hence an attempt was made to provide an alternative source of employment by getting some of the workers trained in some skilled vocational courses. Efforts are also being made for more such kinds of short time courses shortly.
  
Rashtriya Swasthiya Bhima Yojana
A new scheme to provide health insurance to the BPL card holders was initiated by the Ministry in collaboration with the State Labour Department and Insurance Companies. The scheme moots to provide a health coverage to a family of five persons who fall under the BPL list as per the State Government upto the extent of Rs.30,000 per year per family. The Scheme is also going to be extended to the Beedi and Mine Workers and other unorganized sector of workers.
The numbers of Hospitals and Dispensaries in Karnataka and Kerala is as below:

​Conclusion
Article 41 of the Constitution of India declared, “the state shall, within the limits of its economic capacity & development make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education & to public assistance in case of unemployment, old age, sickness & disablement & other cases of undeserved want.”
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Thus our organization is making the best utilization, efforts & practice in achieving these goals, no stone will be left unturned to uplift the living conditions of the workers.
 
G. Gopal
Welfare Commissioner, Govt. of India, Ministry of Labour & Employment
E-mail: [email protected]