GUJRAT BUILDING AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WELFARE BOARD( GBOCWWB) A CASE STUDY.

VIPUL PANDYA

BANDHKAAM MAZDOOR SANGATHAN (BMS)

INTRODUCTION: BMS

• Bandhkam Mazdoor Sangathan (BMS): 1993.
• BMS has played a big role in the framing of Rules of BOCW
• Outreach: 50,000 workers. Majority members: tribal migrant workers.
• Advocacy for housing rights
• Elimination of child labour,
• Promoting education for children of migrant construction workers,
• Generating awareness of welfare schemes
• Gathering data for accidents and helping them to get compensation

CONSTRUCTION SECTOR IN INDIA

• After Agriculture, construction is the second largest employer in India.

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• Construction sector in India will be third largest construction market globally by 2025

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• 51 million are employed in the construction industry and it contributes to 9% share in India’s GDP.

CONCERNS FACED BY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

• Non-payment of wages.
• Working without any formal contract
• Long working hours.
• Exploitation by contractors
• Lack of social welfare benefits,
• Precarious nature of working
• High rate of occupational diseases and accidents.

ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE LAWS

• As a result of this long struggle of one decade, two Central legislations come were enacted in 1996. These were:

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1. The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Service) Act, 1996 (Main Act)
2. The Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996 (Supplementary Act).
3. Collection of cess at rates not exceeding 2%

GBOCWWB : WELFARE SCHEMES

• GBOCWWB runs around 17 welfare schemes:

1. Mobile Medical Facility.

2.Maternity Benefits for women construction workers and wives of male construction workers,

3.Financial Bond for women child of construction worker.

4. Educational assistance to children of construction workers

5. Financial assistance to children of construction who are pursuing Phd.

6. Accidental death Benefit.

7. Financial assistance for final rites of construction workers who died while working on the site.

GBOCWWB : WELFARE SCHEMES

8.Subsized food scheme (Annapurna Yojana)

9.Financial benefit for construction workers suffering from occupational diseases.

10.Eco-friendly two wheeler for construction workers.

11.Eco friendly two wheeler for differently abled construction workers.

12. Subsidized bus pass for construction worker.

13. Housing benefits for construction workers

14.Financial assistance for preparing for competitive exams.

15. Life insurance for construction workers,

16. Hostel facility for children whose parents migrate to cities

17. Full medical check up and financial assistance for that.

WELFARE SCHEMES

WELFARE SCHEMES

• Once the worker is registered, worker will get an E-nirman card.
• Total no. of E-nirman card holders as of 15^th May, 2023, was 358095.
• As of 15^th May, 2023 total no. of registered workers 1001964
• As of 20^th May 2023: No. of eligible beneficiaries: 401520.

MATERNITY BENEFITS

• In 2013-2014: only 6 women received maternity benefits
• in 2019, 1549 women received these benefits.
• in 2023 over, 1364 women got maternity benefits.
• Rs. 37,000 INR(450 US$) for the delivery of first two babies

WELFARE SCHEMES

• If any workers dies on the construction site, the board provides. Rs.3 lakh INR (3560 US$.
• 29 welfare schemes have been launched and presently a 17 welfare schemes are being run.

CHALLENGES FACED BY THE BOARD

• From 2013 : 10,862 women received benefits ; Total 1078.24 Lakhs (>1 million USD.
• Total cess collected in last 25 years from all indian states is 9354384780.00 US$, out of which 54.91% remains unutilized.
• Low levels of awareness
• Low level of registration
• Low level of renewal registration
• Delivery mechanism creates long delays

CHALLENGES FACED BY THE BOARD

• Due to digitalization there is a gap between the board and the workers.
• Construction workers primarily come from marginalized background i.e. Tribals and scheduled caste.
• Less than 5 percent of workers have connections with the union. The Penetration of unions among workers is very weak.

CHALLENGES FACED BY THE BOARD

• Most of the money is spend through third parties
• The delivery mechanism is poor and the procedures are tiring.
• Regulation of employment and safety protocols are not being followed.
• The schemes serves as a PR machinery of the political party rather than making structural changes which pulls them out of the poverty.
• The board is supposed to be formed of 15 individuals comprising of five representation from employer, five from employee side and five from government. But currently only one senior administrative officer is managing the affairs

SOME GLIMPSES OF BMS’S WORK

SOME GLIMPSES OF BMS’S WORK

SOME GLIMPSES OF BMS’S WORK

SOME GLIMPSES OF BMS’S WORK