promoting labour collectives and forums

Given the scattered and informal nature of their employment, migrant workers tend to remain unorganized. The trade union movement has omitted seasonal migrants in the informal sectors of the economy. Absence of workers’ organizations means that they remain neglected from policy attention, media and public support.

As a core strategy of mobilization, the Bureau has started to collectivize migrant workers on occupational lines. A collective provides the benefit of association and mutual help among its members.

A group also makes it possible for individual members to engage in more forceful bargaining and to provide new work opportunities to each other. At a later point a collective can evolve into a body that might negotiate contracts and even enter joint contracts with employers or service users.

At this time there are nearly 20 active collectives with a membership of nearly 2000 workers. These include collectives of construction workers, cart pullers, plumbers, factory workers and head-loaders. A new collective is coming up for workers in the catering business and rickshaw pullers. The Ahmedabad, Udaipur and Jaipur centres of Aajeevika Bureau have provided the context for promotion of several collectives, given the high concentration of migrants in these urban centres.