Factory owners suffer as labour crunch continues

Mahesh Sharma

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 22

Now when the polling for Lok Sabha election is over, owners of dairy farms, dairies and small scale industry units hope return of labourers who had left for their respective native states on the pretext of voting and supporting their candidates.

However, the labour problem at factories might continue further as a large number of migrant labourers have extended their leaves on the pretext of some social and family functions at their native places.

Investigations revealed that the unorganised sectors of dairy farms, dairies and small scale industry units had been facing acute labour shortage for the past about two months. Though the shortage has since been a periodic trend, the ensuing scarcity was more acute due to pressure on migrant labourers by their parents and family friends who had been supporting candidates of their choice at their places. Labourers from UP, Bihar and Orissa were early to leave for their respective places.

Dr Ravinder Sharma, organiser of a dairy farm at Chhanna-Jandali road, on the outskirts of the town said he had been over-occupied with the affairs of the dairy as majority of migrant labourers employed in his unit had proceeded on leave immediately after the announcement of 2019 general elections.

“Thanks to mechanisation of various chores related to dairy farming that I was able to manage in the absence of a largr number of workers,” said Sharma maintaining that some of the labourers have informed him about their probable return now.

Deepak Sharma, a dairy owner said he also had to curtail the manufacturing of milk products during the past weeks as the local labour could not replace migrant labourers skilled in the professions.

A periodic trend

Though the shortage has since been a periodic trend, the ensuing scarcity was more acute due to pressure on migrant labourers by their parents and family friends who had been supporting candidates of their choice at their places. Labourers from UP, Bihar and Orissa were early to leave for their respective places.