Industry awaits labour

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 22

The local industry and manufacturers here see a ray of hope as they expect the skilled and unskilled labour to return here soon from their native places after the end of the festival season of Diwali/Chhat Puja etc.

The production in factory units has been hit due to various reasons, including Covid-19, lack of labour and now, the farmers’ agitation stopping train movement in the region.

A hosiery manufacturer, Raghav Dhir, said the production was hit badly due to labour shortage and the lack of raw material due to no movement of trains.

“We are trying hard to meet deadlines. There are many problems we are facing these days, but we are hopeful that labour will now come back soon as all their festivals are over and they have stayed for more than a month or two in their villages. Once they are back, we can definitely focus on increasing production,” said Dhir.

Akash Bansal from Rage Knitwear said this time, the manufacturers got much less time for production. “Generally, we start with the productions in March, but because of Covid, the productions started late in July and then, other factors hit businesses badly ,” said Bansal.

Master Rinku, a skilled labourer who had left for UP, said the labour was not willing to sit back in villages and wants to come back and earn their livelihood, but then everything depends on trains. “If we cannot reach Ludhiana directly due to farmers’ agitation, we will get the train ticket up to Ambala and from there, we can reach the industrial city by bus. We have been told that the trains will resume soon,” said Master Rinku from a village near Hapur.