While the economy is looking up, some old evils raise their head……..The news today which caught my attention……..

Employment in the country rose by 4.35 lakh during the July-September quarter this year, said a survey carried out by the government.

The survey, which covered eight selected sectors, said the maximum increase in employment was observed in textile sector including apparel where jobs generated were 2.45 lakh.

The textile sector was followed by the IT/BPO sector where employment rose by 1.08 lakh.

Employment in the automobile industry and metal industry rose by 0.29 lakh and 0.27 lakh respectively, the survey conducted by the Labour Bureau under the Ministry of Labour and Employment said.
Business Standard [Link]
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In India, the government itself in its most recent account estimates that 12.6 million children under the age of 14 are at work in various occupations including hazardous occupations. NGO estimates put the number of children employed in domestic work and roadside eateries alone at two million. Centre of Concern for Child Labour, estimates that there are nearly 70 million school-age going children in India who are out of schools. So the total number of working children in India is much higher than the government estimates.
Meghana Sharma’s story in DNA [Link]
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Work at the Haldia Dock Complex, which is administered by the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT), remained paralysed for the second consecutive day on Thursday, due to a strike called by four workers’ unions. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) are protesting against a change in the shift pattern of workers, which has been employed to tide over the present financial crisis at the port.

“We are implementing certain changes in the shift of workers, as the port was bearing a loss of more than Rs 80 crore per annum due to payments for overtime work. The management wants to reduce this expenditure. So, even though some workers are protesting, we will go ahead with our plans,” said M L Meena, KoPT chairman.
Business Standard story [Link]