10.94 lakh workers paid Rs. 1,909 crore in wages in Gujarat: Labour & Employment department

Gandhinagar: More than Rs. 1,909 crore in due wages have been paid to over 10.94 lakh workers in Gujarat, said a note by Labour and Employment department of Gujarat government today.

Vipul Mittra, additional chief secretary, Labour and Employment department said that 30,373 factories, commercial establishments, and shops have paid wages to the tune of Rs. 1,909 crore to 10.94 lakh workers in the last couple of weeks.

“We launched an outreach exercise to ensure that workers are paid their wages in full and on time as per the state government’s directions. As of April 18, our officials have made more than 14,000 phone calls to employers and reached out to 18,000 more via emails and WhatsApp. The efforts are bearing fruit and workers are being paid their dues by employers,” said Mittra.

In Ahmedabad, 1,519 establishments have paid Rs. 431 crore in wages to 1.76 lakh workers. In Vadodara, 1.04 lakh workers have been paid Rs.241 crore by 1,109 employers. In Bharuch, 1.17 lakh workers have been paid Rs. 238 crore, while in Surat, 1.86 lakh workers have received Rs. 218 crore in wages. Valsad and Kutch are the other districts where more than Rs. 100 crore was paid to workers.

The Labour and Employment department has also launched helpline number 155372 to allow workers to raise their grievances regarding non-payment of wages.

“We have been getting several complaints on the helpline, and are immediately taking them up,” said Mittra.

He also said that 9,191 migrant workers are at present housed in 236 shelter homes across the state where they are being provided with food, healthcare services, and counselling.

More than 1,600 workers are housed in 19 labour camps in Vadodara, while over 1,100 workers are housed in six camps in Aravalli. Similarly, over 730 workers are being taken care of at 14 camps in Surat, and 616 in 19 camps in Dahod.

The Labour and Employment Department has also deployed 34 Dhanvantari Arogya Raths for providing doorstep healthcare services at labour colonies, ran baseras, and various slum areas. These Raths have catered to nearly 63,000 outdoor patients between March 16 and April 17.

“The Raths are also involved in creating awareness about Coronavirus,” Mittra added.

DeshGujarat