Скачать или смотреть Building the City: Managing Mobile Labour in Bengaluru's Construction Industry | Public lecture

How have policies and practices concerning migrant workers in India evolved since the Covid-19 migrant labour crisis, and what does this reveal about the continuing reliance of the organised construction industry on informal labour contracting?

Over the last several decades, Bengaluru’s urban environment had been dramatically altered by high-rise apartment complexes, glitzy business parks, and new infrastructure such as the metro-rail line. This construction boom depended on the supply of thousands of workers sourced from distant states such as Bihar and Jharkhand. The precarious working conditions of migrant workers in Indian cities became starkly evident during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020, prompting the central and state governments to initiate or enforce policies and welfare schemes for their protection. Carol Upadhya led an exploration of the contracting system of labour supply and management in the construction industry, examining the responsibilities of employers and the state in implementing laws and policies for migrant workers. The discussion also highlighted the new and evolving ways in which ‘informal’ and 'formal' modes of organizational control remained tightly entangled in this sector, along with their implications for workers' rights and security.

This lecture was organised as part of Science Gallery Bengaluru's 7th exhibition-season Sci560. Sci560 is supported by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.