Having suffered several labour frets since last few years, industry in Punjab is gradually learning to climb it’s way back.
Industrialists in the state had been suffering labour shortage since last few years because of which the industry was forced to revise its prices. According to industrialists in the state, wages since last few years have increased by 30-35 per cent. However, the industries in the state now are looking forward to rapid growth, which suggests that solutions have been finally adopted by the industries.
S C Rehlan , regional chairman, Engineering Export promotion Council (EEPC) feels in coming years the industries in Punjab would not feel the labour pinch as hard as now, probably because they have learnt to claw their way back. Attractive remunerations, automisation and deployment of more women work force are some of the measures through which industries have found some relief.
According to Rehlan, the engineering industry in Punjab was looking at 35-40 per cent growth in the coming year.
The bicycle industry in Punjab is eyeing a supply of 40 lakh bicycles to various states (under different welfare schemes) this year. The order size of supply of bicycles across India is double compared to previous season.
Onkar Singh Pahawa, MD Avon Bicycle said “the industry has started automisation in the manufacturing of bicycles and its parts . In addition to this, the industry is also employing women work force, thought their number is still far less.”
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Industrialists in Punjab assert that though the minimum wages stand at Rs 3,692 for industrial workers,. they pay a lot higher to their employees. This in turn attracts a number of migrant labourers to come back to the state.
In the past few years, there has been a hike in the wages of skilled, semi-skilled as well as unskilled labourers, primarily due to the labour crisis in Punjab. Wages have now almost doubled than before.
The textile industry of Punjab has started increasing its female workforce since a few months. Though the participation percentage of female workforce still remains in single digits, industrialists feel the number is much higher than previous years.