Higher wages make Kerala the new 'Gulf' for migrant labourers

The high wages, Rs.250-300 a day, for unskilled labour in the construction sector seems to be the main attraction for migrant labourers, say officials and manpower recruitment agencies.The last study on 'Migration in India' by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) in 2001, estimated the number at one million.While there are around two million Keralites working in the Gulf and many in various parts of India and abroad, the state faces labour shortage in its booming construction sector and the traditional agriculture sector.It is this high wage rate that is attracting labourers here. Kerala is a 'Gulf' for them. In their native place many earn as little as Rs.50 as daily wages while it is Rs.250 or more here.
Migrant labourers from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been in the state for a long time. In recent years the state has been witnessing an increased influx of workers from Orissa and West Bengal.On Kerala attracting migrant labourers when the unemployment rate remains high, recruiters say the migrant labourers cost less than the locals.According to the labour department, the average wage fixed for construction workers in Kerala is Rs 232.63.There are different norms for different items of work in the construction sector.
The officials say it is extremely difficult to maintain a close surveillance on the employment of migrant labourers. The labour contractors are required to take a licence to deploy migrant labour. They also have to make a refundable deposit of Rs.1,000 - Rs.2,000 per labourer with the department. This would help us keep track of labour migration. But when migrant labourers come on their own, it is near impossible to know how many are employed here. So the migration is a serious thing that had to be considered by officials to solve this issue.