Coronavirus lockdown pushes daily wagers, migrant workers into penury

A week after Karnataka entered lockdown, the disruption of the working class' livelihood is pushing them into penury with a survey of the current situation stating that 56 per cent of the respondents said they have no income at all.

The survey, a collaborative effort of trade unions (AICCTU), domestic and garment workers union besides women's organisations, is the second part of the study on the impact of lockdown on daily, weekly and monthly wagers. It comes about a week after the first report, which warned the government about the consequences of a lockdown.

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It stated that more than 93 per cent of the respondents in the survey said they stayed back in the city either due to the lack of transport arrangements or for the fear that they may spread the virus in rural areas.

The survey stated that 83 per cent of the respondents have completely stopped work and those still working were primarily from healthcare and sanitation. "Among those we surveyed, 65 per cent said that their livelihoods had fully or partially been affected. This is a near 22 per cent increase from the previous round," the report said.

Only 32 per cent of the respondents said they had managed to stretch their weekly wages or previous month's salaries to make ends meet and 20 per cent said they have to borrow money.

This condition is exacerbated by the fact that migrant workers do not have ration cards. At a time when even the cardholders are facing difficulties to access ration from PDS shops, the lockdown has hit them further.

Worryingly, the survey found that pregnant women, young mothers and children who need nutritious food, have stopped receiving it.

Many salaried workers expressed extreme helplessness about meeting the expenditures next month and 32 per cent had no answer on how they are managing currently.

"The lack of any state support for poor and working classes in the city is evident in that 83 per cent had no income support from the state through any programme or schemes. This absence of a safety net was mitigated by a turn to social and kinship networks under ordinary circumstances. This is not easily available now," the report noted.

The report included several recommendations to the government, including providing food through mobile vans, opening cooked food centres and door delivery of food grain and other materials. It also sought financial support of Rs 1,000 and issue an order to similar to the one given by Maharashtra Government suspending collection of the month next month.