Hiring ‘unwilling’ migrants uphill task for MSME units in state
LUCKNOW: With most migrant workers, who returned home in large numbers in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic from MSME units across the state, still in two minds about going back, hiring them is proving to be an uphill task for industrialists now.
The state micro, small & medium enterprises (MSME) department has provided a comprehensive list of eight lakh migrants to Indian Industries’ Association (IIA), an industry lobby body, which has signed an MoU with the state government to provide job to three lakh migrant workers.
“The list is divided district wise and carries contact numbers of migrants specifying their skills too. The IIA has circulated the list among its members across the state,” said IIA general secretary Manmohan Agarwal.
The IIA has appointed Agarwal as nodal officer for Uttar Pradesh to hire migrant workers.
“From most of the districts we have got feedback that migrants are indecisive and not willing to join in the present scenario due to coronavirus pandemic,” Agarwal said.
Rajeev Bansal, a Noida-based garment manufacturing unit owner, hit a roadblock when he decided to hire a tailor.
“I contacted several migrants randomly from the list. Almost all of them expressed their inability to resume work due to Covid-19 pandemic,” said Bansal.
“Most of the migrants want to stay home for some time till the pandemic subsides. However, many of them also expressed their desire to return to their original units once the pandemic was under control,” said Bansal.
Atul Bhushan Gupta of Meerut, who manufactures and repairs transformers, is IIA’s nodal officer for Meerut region.
He is looking for technical staff for his unit. “I contacted migrant workers in Hapur, Meerut and Baraut in Baghpat. But most of them were indecisive about going back to work,” said Gupta.
Surendra Kumar Tiwari, who is IIA’s nodal officer for Lucknow for hiring migrant workers for industries of the region, said: “Most of the migrants do not want to join at present due to coronavirus outbreak. Only for the construction industry, we have been able to hire migrant workers successfully”
Migrant worker Gyanendra Kanojia, 25, of Lucknow was working at a garment unit in Mumbai before he joined exodus of migrant workers triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now at his residence in Chinhat, Gyanendra is exploring his options and looking for a job nearby.
“Eight of us returned to Lucknow from Mumbai. We are were working in garment factory there. We all are getting calls from our employer in Mumbai. But nobody wants to return to Mumbai at present,” said Gyanendra. Jitendra Kumar, 38, of Saharanpur, was working at an automobile ancillary unit in Ghaziabad as a technician. There is no job for Jitendra in his home town but , he does not want to return to Ghaziabad. He wants to wait till the pandemic subsides.