Labour ministry helplines get over 10k distress calls
NEW DELHI : “We have run out of food. Can you please ask someone to come and help us?’’ This was the SOS call that Suraj Pal, a factory worker from Faridabad, placed to the labour helpline on Tuesday. Pal and six of his associates have been stuck in an aluminium factory in the industrial hub ever since the lockdown started in late March.
This is the second time they are running out of food. It happened last month, prompting a similar SOS call -- and they managed to get some relief.
“My employer isn’t taking calls any more,’’ Suraj Pal told HT. “We tried to leave but the police says that we cannot go without proper registration. Please, can you ask them to send us some food as we have run out?. Or maybe they can take us home to Bareilly?”
Pal’s call is just one of around 10,500 calls that the labour ministry’s 20 helplines have received since April 17. The helplines are located across 31 states and manned by 75 senior officers. None of the officers is trained to deal with distress calls, but as a majority of the calls is about hunger and helplessness, they’ve all had to learn to tackle these emergencies. “These helplines were actually started to help with wage issues and provident funds but 60% of the calls are in the state’s jurisdictions. So we get in touch with local authorities and get them to organise help for the callers,’’ said the official coordinating the helplines requesting anonymity. Suraj Pal’s call threw the officials because even though food was an issue being handled by state and local officials, they knew it was too urgent to wait. “We are trying to get someone to get food to them urgently.’’
“While most of the distress calls are about being removed from their jobs or not getting wages, there are also many who call for help with recharging (topping up) their phones,’’ said the official, adding that stranded workers needed it to communicate with their family.
Ever since the ministry of home affairs announced trains to ferry stranded persons, that’s become the main theme of calls.
“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing,’’ said regional labour commissioner in Telengana, VT Thomas, who is managing a helpline. “Labourers from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand all want to go home, we tell them to either contact the deputy labour commissioner or the local police official.”
Interestingly, some have also tried to use the helpline as an employment exchange.
“Our Port Blair office received a call from a contractor,he asked if we could put him in touch with stranded labourers because one particular factory wanted to reopen,” said an official who asked not to be named. “We put him in touch with the district administration and that factory also opened.”
Regarding calls about wages, the official cited above said we reach out to the employers and tell them they can’t stop wages because it is illegal.
THE HELPLINES ARE
LOCATED ACROSS 31 STATES AND MANNED BY 75 SENIOR OFFICERS. MOST OF THE CALLS RECEIVED BY THEM ARE ABOUT HUNGER AND HELPLESSNESS