After the arrest of suspected Maoist Shyam Charan Tudu from a foundry here, owners of foundries in Thanneerpandal area are concerned over the possibilities of other wanted men masquerading as migrant workers.
Most foundry units in the area have employees from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar, whose background is difficult to verify.
Industrial units usually hire migrant labourers through agents and other references including on the recommendation of an existing worker. This is done in good faith to meet shortage in the western district.
Generally, a broker refers labourers to an industrial unit and gets his commission. In some case, workers approach for jobs on learning about vacancies.
Thanneerpandal has large number of small and medium foundry units where nearly 10 per cent of the workers are migrants.
Most foundry owners also arrange for accommodations, mostly dingy houses where labourers huddle.
Asked if they would maintain a record of their employees in future, a foundry owner said “All I know is which State they come from. They are hard workers.”
A few foundry owners in the locality steer clear of engaging migrant labourers, whose antecedents are difficult to verify. “As we do not know much about the identity of migrant labourers, I have not employed anyone yet,” said Subramaniam, who runs the KSR Foundry.