Mapping labour relationships and conflict resolution: case study of Ahmedabad Metro project

Abstract

It’s 8 am. Bansilal has arrived at the Ahmedabad Metro construction site, with his set of tools and uniform. He changes in his uniform and heads to work on the project. There are numerous thoughts in his mind. How will I pay for my child’s education back home? When will I be able to set up my own small business? Just then his manager comes and reprimands him for working slow. All of a sudden Bansilal forgets about his long felt ambitions and resumes work. From the gleaming lights of blooming skyscrapers and upscale business buildings to the emerging urban infrastructure, the urban cities of India today are going through a rapid phase of expansion and modernization. Manual and construction workers form an integral part of this Indian ecosystem. In essence, a construction worker is a person who is involved in the physical construction of buildings, metros and other related infrastructure. Such people can form a part of the migrant population or be the local populace. Construction workers often form the contractual form of employees where they are not under the direct payrolls of the primary companies but instead get paid directly by the informal agencies who temporarily recruit them for a specific period. Of the construction workers, substantial amount of workers form the migrant category, that is, the workers who migrate to other places within India in search of jobs for better livelihood and employment. Since laborers form a significant part of the Indian economy, the authors as a team proposed to study the motivations and mechanisms encompassing the functional operations of construction workers in the Ahmedabad Metro Project. Based on secondary research and shared knowledge, three hypotheses were developed before starting the project. The hypotheses were then tested by collecting and qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing the data gathered through primary research. The findings and in-depth methodology utilized are mentioned in the main report below.