KOCHI: Prasad K, a former KSEB engineer is a busy man these days. His company, the Kochi-based Neotech Engg that he founded with his two other friends, executes minor contracts such as replacing old electricity lines with new ones for the KSEB using a labour force that has 40-50 Madhya Pradesh workers, who are skilled in the work.
“If I’ve to employ workers from Kerala, I’ll end up paying additional Rs 500 per day, besides strictly complying with the work hours. I need to complete a section of the area which sometimes means extending the work by another 2-3 hours,” Prasad said. “It isn’t possible with workers from Kerala.”
Prasad had worked earlier for a private contractor, executing contracts for the MP electricity board.
Prasad said he would have had to pay at least Rs 1,500/employee for the electricity works, which he now settles for Rs 1000/day. “I provide lunch at the worksite, which saves time as I need to complete work on a daily basis. I also provide my workers residential facilities,” he added. What’s happening in Kerala’s power sector reflects further inroads made by the workers from other states into Kerala’s blue-collar jobs, especially in mid-to-top-end jobs, where the pay is much higher.
Vishnu Narendran, programme director of Perumbavoor-based Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), said highly-skilled blue-collar jobs such as carving, laterite mining are now the monopoly of migrant workers. “Kerala has perhaps the highest pay for blue-collar jobs in the whole of South Asia. The workers here get at least `250-300/day higher than the national average,” he said.