Labour Shortage Hits Production

[kdsingh80]

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110421/punjab.htm#13

Industries demand that government should provide labour through employment exchange

Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, April 20

Labour shortage in industrial units has caused 50 per cent decrease in industrial production in Dera Bassi and Lalru. They are considered the industrial hubs of Punjab.

Some industries had cancelled its one shift of working hours to meet the labour shortage and so the industrial production was adversely affected.

Some units have got auto machines to overcome the problem. After talking to the management of industrial units of Lalru and Dera Bassi, it was found that industries had been facing a decrease in their production from 15 per cent to 50 per cent due to the labour shortage.

The owner of Cheema Spinning Mill, Lalru, and president of the Industrial Association Lalru, Hardyal Singh Cheema, said nearly 500 workers had been working in his unit and now he was facing a shortage of 250 workers that was leading to loss in production. They had stopped one shift of working hours.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was one of the reasons that had led to labour shortage, he added. Managing director of Punjab Agro Dutch, MS Bhinder, said his unit was facing a shortage of 400 workers, which had to decrease in 50 per cent production.

A major fall had been noted in the turnout of labour from other states due to National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Along with this, season of wheat harvesting was the reason behind labour shortage, he added.

Meanwhile, expressing concern over the labour shortage, president of Dera Bassi Industrial Association Kewal Garg said that this problem could become the reason behind closing of most industries, so the government should take appropriate steps to solve the problem.

Nahar Fabrics And Rana Polycots, which are the big spinning mills in this area have also stopped one shift of working hours of the total three shifts.

Mohanjeet, chief engineer in Rana Polycot and Ram Kumar Vashist vice-president of personnel and administration in Nahar Spinning Mill said labour was not turning out from Bihar and Uttar Pardesh due to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and it had led to labour problem in industries. Their industrial units were facing the 30 to 35 per cent shortage of labour, which had caused a loss in production up to 15 per cent. They further informed that they would turn auto machines to meet the problem.