SUBALTERN STUDIES ON MIGRANT INFORMAL WORKERS WITH SPECIAL

SUBALTERN STUDIES ON MIGRANT INFORMAL WORKERS WITH

SPECIAL REFERENCE TO RAG PICKERS INCHENNAI CITY.

A.SHAJI GEORGE1, Dr.V.SARAVANAN 2

1 Ph.D. Research Scholar, P.G. & Research Department of Economics, Sir Theagaraya College, Chennai -600 021, Tamil Nadu, India

2Assistant Professor, P.G & Research Department of Economics, Sir Theagaraya College, Chennai -600 021, Tamil Nadu, India

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

______________________________________________________________________________

ABSTRACT

The Rag Pickers are an integral part of our society. They are coming under the bottom line of

the informal worker's category in the 93% workforce in our Country.

The Rag Pickers' work and life experiences are a snapshot of the economy of the Informal sector.

In this migrant Rag pickers, a micro-level study in Chennai Metropolitan City mainly traverses

the working and living conditions of selected sample respondents.

One of the interesting observations of this present work is the sample respondent of migrant rag

pickers are not having savings as well as investment on any one economic thing.

This work identified and concentrated the nature of working areas and their livelihood

opportunities of Rag Pickers in and around Chennai region and also an extensive and intensive

piece of work with regard to poverty affected group of workers, in order to overcome this

societal problem the present work has been enlightened to attract of the interest of planners and

policymakers to promulgate the suitable strategies for the uplift their life.

Keywords: Informal Sector, Migration, Ragpickers, Illiteracy

INTRODUCTION

The Ragpickers is the category of nullified sections of your society. They are all basically poor,

illiterate, the majority of the workers are homeless, among them living under small huts,

Coovum river basins and Rag hill station areas. Basically, their working condition is dirty as well

Aut Aut Research Journal

Volume X, Issue IV, April-2019

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as an unhealthy situation. At this backdrop, we observe the working and living conditions of

migrant rag pickers in the Chennai Metropolitan City.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

The present study mainly focuses on the subsequent objectives.

1.To find out the causes responsible for migrant Rag pickers in the urban and suburban areas of

Chennai city.

2.To explore the working and living conditions of migrant Ragpickers.

3.To recommend the policy decisions with regard to improve their living conditions.

4. To provide some opt way to promote migrant rag pickers children’s education status.

5.To analyze awareness level in connection with the medical facilities improve their health.

METHODOLOGY:

The present study is in the descriptive oriented and primarily related to the help of primary data.

Random sampling has been performed for the collection of data which is based on the interview

schedule. The interview schedule has been modified on the basis of the objectives of the present

study. The questionnaire comprises of close-ended as well as open-ended questions. The

personal interview was conducted with randomly identified 150 rag pickers in and around

Chennai Metropolitan Area.

MEANING OF RAG PICKERS

Rag pickers is a Person, whose who are usually collect the waste materials like metals, cloth,

steel, broken glass, plastics, and paper, he is also considered as a Rag Picker in our society.

According to Edwards, Henry Sutherland (1893) states the Rag Picker, or Chiffonnier is a term

for someone who makes a living by imaging through refuse in the streets to collect material for

salvage.

According to the free legal dictionary, Ragpicker means, a person who picks up rags and other

waste material from the streets, refuse heaps, etc for a livelihood.



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NATURE OF THE WORK OF RAG PICKERS:

The Ragpickers are the bottom line of the working classes of the global level. This rag-picking

was one of the truthful also with nothing invested in the profession.

The Ragpickers within the nineteenth and early twentieth century failed to recycle the materials

themselves; they'd merely collect no matter they might notice and switch it over to a master rag

picker, who would, in try sell it – normally by weight – to well-to-do investors with the income

to convert the materials in to somewhat more profitable by way of marketing of waste materials.

For example, in the entire city of Paris rag pickers were governed by law and that they follow its

government; their operations were restricted to bound times of night, that they were needed to

return back any remarkably valuable things to the proprietor or to authorities.

Modern-day sanitation services and recycling programs ultimately entree for the decline of rag-

picking activity. Even though it does not disappear totally in modern civilized life.

Rag picking is still widespread in aggregation Third world Countries these days, like the city,

Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai

Where it offers the poorest poor in society round the rubbish and reprocessing areas to likelihood

to earn a meager provide of cash. In 2015, the atmosphere Minister of Republic of India declared

a national award to acknowledge the service rendered by the Ragpickers the award price of a

money prize of Rs.1.5 lakhs is for three best rag pickers and three associations concerned within

the innovation of best practices of recycling and reuse.

CASE STUDIES WITH REGARD TO INFORMAL SECTOR WORKERS:

The Economic and political weekly editorials examine India has desperately, or for perpetually

desires a comprehensive national law covering domestic laborers within the following years.

About half of the states in India, but not Uttarpradesh, where Noida is located and Delhi,

Madhya Pradesh, and Maharastra have included domestic workers as laborers under the

minimum wages Act, that sets out terms of payment, hours of labor and leaves. Yet, this law is

grossly inadequate. The law doesn't, as an example, need domestic employees and employers to

register with any authority, which is crucial for watching whether or not each parties area unit



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fulfilling their written agreement obligations and for adjudicating conflicts. A national law

additionally must manage laborers, safely, offer for health emergencies and their children’s

education, among different things. Certain states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu do have welfare

boards for domestic labors that conceive to try this, but they have meager funds and do not go far

enough a national law ought to additionally regulate the various for-profit domestic workers

agencies that have sprung up, some of which are suspected of putting children to work.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

In the present research work is entitled to subaltern studies on migrant informal workers with

reference to rag pickers in Chennai city. The connected review of literature of this analysis work

highlighted solely on informal sector worker's acts varied levels. At this backdrop, the present

research work carried out the vacuum of many of the earlier studies.

REVIEW - 1

K.L.KAMAT gave the real-life picture of the Ragpickers in India. In his article reveals that

most of the Ragpickers are extremely poor, illiterate and belong to rural immigrant families.

Many start their profession at the young age of 5 to eight years. Most of them not ever attend any

faculty or have any formal education. Most of their families are in need of extra incomes from

these young children also doing rag picking. While they are collecting rag they are subjected to

chemical poisons and infections. Because of malnutrition, they suffer from retarded growth and

anemia. The rag pickers are terribly liable to diseases like T.B. and cancer because of their

exposure to venturous materials with their friend and therefore the elders. The brokers pocket the

foremost share of the sales and pay exclusively paltry to the youngsters. As earning members of

the family, they do not need much to the elders of the family advice. They commence chewing

and smoking tobacco. Soon they become obsessed with alcohol then they switch to laborious

liquors. They even do not refrain from taking drugs. They have free sex with streetwalkers and

hence become victims of AIDS and other harmful diseases.



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REVIEW - 2

Pyali Chatterjee, the study of the characteristics of child rag pickers. Society has not entirely

neglected to guard children the youngsters the kids against turning into child rag pickers to boot,

but they to boot weren't treated well.

Sometimes youngsters were forced to become rag pickers by the rag client and a number of times

the children like better to become rag pickers by themselves as degree freelance. And from hence

the journey of their exploitation, engagement with animals drug addiction began, which is

neither good for their development and nor for the society where they are living.

REVIEW -3

Sudhir Kumar Suthar in his article on contemporary farmers protests and the “New Rural –

Agrarian” in India reveals that the education status of migrant informal workers.

In the times of arraign crisis, families of such youth could hardly afford to pay for their

education, simultaneously, there is a pressure to perform well in order to secure a better future.

Increasing access to education is not commensurate to the employment opportunities available.

But there is an increasing sense of anxiety due to the lack of job opportunities in urban areas.

Most of the available jobs in the cities are in the private sector. These employment opportunities

are contractual, short –term opportunities and are also not very well paid. The kind of

embarrassment and discrimination one ought to face in these workplaces lot of generates the best

approach of inferiority.

The exploitation and human process among the urban job market have worsened among the last

twenty years. Jitendra, at the age 32, from Trivedik purwa village of Banda district, Uttar

Pradesh, used to work as a security guard in Kanpur. He lost his hand in an accident. The

company threw him out and also did not pay his remaining salary. I thought it is better to go

back and work on the land instead of facing insult in the cities” Now he does farming in the

village along with his family. As a result of job-market related challenges, the rural youth who

are now educated and exposed to the urban lifestyle and its comforts find it financially

unaffordable



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REVIEW-4

Venkatesh Athereya reviews the book on Labour, State and Society in Rural India written by

Jonathan Pattenden. A class relational approach finds out the Nature of employment by way of

observed to 39 villages in three districts of Karnataka namely Dharwad (23), Raichur (15), and

Mandya (1). The set of villages in Dharwad and in Raichur differ significantly from each other.

The Labourers from Raichur district, in the absence of urban centres within the district not far

from their villages that could provide jobs, migrate to Bengaluru to work in construction,

whereas the labourers from Dharwad villages commute to figure in near urban centres for non-

agricultural employment.

REVIEW-5

K. Kalpana in her in-depth study and involvement of informal Women workers in Chennai city.

She especially took into Women Appalam Workers moving towards the strike action for a wage

increase for their life in secure better and bright.

Kalpana in her view on the women informal workers actively participated in the trade union

activities in Tamilnadu. The women workers in the informal sector who greatly valve their

access top paid employment adopt other forms of the labour movement and are less willing to

engage in actions that could endanger their employment. Therefore, the favored strategies of

mobilization tend to be negotiations, skills, training of women workers and information policies

or the mobilization of public opinion based on the documentation of working conditions, wages

and shop floor experiences of women workers.

Case studies of informal women workers’ organizations from India, Thailand, South Africa, and

Brazil find that they use a repertoire of unconventional organizing strategies such as fostering a

common identity cutting across the many divides among women workers, providing practical

support on an enemy day basis, legal activation, the use of information technologies and the

creative re-appropriation of cultural symbols to challenge the inequities women face in

workplaces organizations of informal workers have directed their demands towards the state for



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welfare benefits such as social security schemes, pensions, health insurance, educational

scholarships for workers children and housing support. In formal workers movements organize

their constituency as citizens who make claims visa –vis the state rather than of workers

challenging principal employers at workplaces over wages or conditions of work.

Case studies reveal that the observations the real facts and figures of the particular aspect of the

research work. Hence, the researcher has been identified and selected case studies suitable for

the current scenario of the research work.

REVIEW-6

Supriya Srivatsava finds out the studies related the street vendors in India. She analyzed the

nature of the street vendors and the objectives of National policy for urban street vendors.

The street vendors lead to susceptible life in urban society, though they play an invaluable and

function role in urban social and economic ecology by providing a major source of employment

to a significant portion of the population. By providing affordable products to local populations,

street vendors also fill the crucial needs of consumers demand that the formal sector cannot

adequately serve. But they are rarely treated with dignity. They are marginalized by

policymakers. Moreover, they are treated as irritants to urban planning and organization. Most of

the street vendors have noany kind of identity cards of recognition or license to make their

presence legal in urban society. The nature of the employment of street vendors is full of

uncertainty and insecurity. They are frequently evicted by police and the local bodies. Deserving

their problems and the arising challenges in urban development in the National Association of

Street Vendors (NASV) began its January in 1998 with the objective of ensuring livelihood,

social security and financial supports. The Nationwide mobilization of vendors influenced by

Govt. of India to bring a National Policy for Urban Street Vendors (NPUSV) in 2004 with the

following objectives.

1. To give vendors legal status and legitimate hawking zones in urban plans.

2. To promote organizations of street vendors.

3. To take measures agrees to promote a better future of street vendors.



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4. To facilitate social security (Pension, Insurance, etc) and access to credit for street

vendors.

Thus, street vendors are a downtrodden section of society than follow an appropriate strategy and

then invite a better future of their livelihood forever.

CASE STUDY: 1

Revels Child Education: Migrants Child Education System:

Reveals that Migrant’s child's educational system and their everyday life. The migrant children

are an outlier of our education system, which in its fundamental design cannot accommodate

their ‘moving’ educational needs. The Principal of an NGO School for migrant children in

Bangaluru termed this a “roller – coaster kind of education”. The nature of the movement of the

child differs according to the needs of each family. When migrant families come back to

Bengaluru after harvest or festival in the village the same setoff children may not return to the

settlement. Manu children spend alternate periods of time in the village and city. In the

instances of migration within the state, the change of schools during such movements is neither

encouraged by the school system nor favorable to the child’s learning experience for worse are

the cases of migrant children, who move along with their families across construction sites, or

whose families engage in traditional medicine trade and move across makeshift settlements in

the city.

The second aspect of the case study is examined the migrant child and every day in Bengaluru

city. The arrival of Kaveri river water, three days in a week, results in a flurry of activity within

the urban migrant settlements in Bengaluru. The government school-going children do not

attend school during the water in their homes. This initial absence from school for two or three

days a week gradually leads to the complete dropping out of the child. Not only is this active

role and ownership of children in the everyday activities of migrant families considered invisible

child labor, the education system is also unable to respond to these lived realities of migrant

children.



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CASE STUDY: 2

AppalamWorkers: Strike Action and Wage Increase:

The Appalam industry in North Chennai has a history that dates back to the 1950s when

entrepreneurs from the neighbouring state of Kerala started the appalam business in the cluster of

neighborhoods and supplied the product to local retail shops.

The entry of women replacing male workers and the introduction of a piece-rate system of wage

payment proceeded in tandem with the emergence of unit owners, who formed an intermediary

level between the company and the worker. While the workers were overwhelmingly women, the

unit owners were mostly men or in some cases, a married couple.

In 2013, the cituled AWU, field a case in the labor court asking that the companies be held

directly accountable to appalam workers for employee benefits (such as the Employees Provident

Fund and the Employee State Insurance) and that they acknowledge their subcontracted

relationship to the appalam-making units. The companies, in turn, filed responses, claiming that

they were merely wholesale traders who buy from small traders or the “real” manufacturers – the

unit owners. Therefore, the companies argued, they could not be held responsible for employee

benefits. While the case has stagnated in the labour court after a few hearings, the CITU

continues to maintain its position that the raw material supplier is the real (albeit

hidden)employer.

The years that big work strikes took place were 1981, 2013 and 2014. The strike action in 2014

was noticeable for the arrests of women workers. Around 75%-90% of women workers usually

participated in strike calls, except those who could not survive without the daily wages earned

from appalam work. Sit-in and gherao protests (involving encircling buildings) were organized

outside the packing and supply depots and godowns of the big appalam companies in order to

foreground the responsibility of the companies towards the workforce. The unit owners did not

directly participate in the strike, but some of them sent their workers and supported the strike



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with financial donations. Being little more than disguised wage-workers who also gained if

wages rose, the owners of appalam units allowed union organizers access to the units to meet and

mobilize women for union-led strikes and picketing action and took women back to work after

the strikes, obviating the threat of employment loss. If some unit owners were reluctant to take

workers back post-strike, the union mediated between the workers and unit owners. The

clustering of appalam units in proximate Neighbourhoods also made it possible for women to

easily find work in another unit if their relations with unit owners soured for any reason.

In January 2016, the wage increase was accepted as soon as the worker’s union submitted the

petition asking for a wage increase, even without initiating strike action. Interestingly, it was the

small appalam companies that initiated the wage rise, thereby forcing the bigger, trademark

companies to follow suit. The small companies feared a strike more as they risked losing their

market (retail and other shops) to the trademark companies. With tones of stock in their

godowns, the big companies could bring them creates to the shops even during a strike period.

The competition between small and large players worked to the advantage of the appalam

workforce by providing the union leverage with respect to wage negotiations and securing some

wage relief for the women workers of the industry.

CASE STUDY: 3

Migrant Construction workers: Defending Human Rights:

A steady inflow of construction workers from other states, notably Odisha and Andhra Pradesh,

and to a lesser extent, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam alerted the KTPS (Kattida

Tohlilar Pengal Sangam) to the conditions in which migrant workers labored in Tamil Nadu.

According to R Geetha, the founder of the KTPS migrant women workers presence in the

construction workforce in Tamil Nadu from the principal supplier states o Odisha and Andhra

Pradesh equaled men, with migrant workers (of both sexes) accounting for about 30%-40% of all

construction workers in Tamil Nadu and more than 50% of construction workers in Chennai.

The principal strategy of the KTPS with regard to migrant construction workers has been to

mobilize public opinion and government action by framing the issue as a violation of their

human rights, especially those of women migrant workers and children. The union also grappled



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with the question of how to appeal to the state government on interstate migrant issues when the

state government was no more considerate of the workers’ plight on its own building projects

than private employers.

During the construction of a new state secretariat building in Chennai (Omandurar government

estate), the KTPS provided photographic evidence of child workers (all from Odisha) to the

labour commissioner who reportedly dismissed them off-hand. Anticipating that the labour

ministry would pay no heed to issues concerning children’s rights, the KTPS decided to write a

letter detailing the condition of migrant workers’ children in the state to the National

Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

This initiative of the union led to the commission directing the Tamil Nadu government to carry

out a study of the children of migrant worker families in the state. Besides commissioning a

study through the Department of Labour, the state government, in close consultation with the

KTPS and UNICEF, formulated Draft Action Plan for Rehabilitation of Children of Migrant

Labour, which was announced in the state legislative assembly in 2010 (NCPCR nd: 31-53)

The difference of language, the absence of social ties with local workers and close surveillance

of migrant workers by recruiting contractors have made it difficult for KTPS to unionize migrant

workers. Yet, migrant workers to contact the union when a problem arises at lease in Chennai.

The collapse of an 11 – storey building under construction in a Chennai suburb (Moulivakkam)

in jane 2014 led to the death of 61 workers, many of whom were interstate migrants. In all the

districts where it had an organized presence, the KTPS branches held public agitations

condemning the incident. As R Geetha of the KTPS observed, this incident galvanized union

members to Act on behalf of migrant workers whom they otherwise tended to regard as rival

claimants for their jobs.

ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF WORK:



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The Analysis and presentation of work are mainly carried out the working and living conditions

of migrant Rag pickers in Metropolitan city with suitable illustration on the basis of data

collected through interview schedule.

TABLE No.1.1

1.DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE RAG PICKERS ON THE BASIS OF SEX WISE:

SNO SEX NO. OF PERSONS PERCENTAGE

1 MALE 72 48

2 FEMALE 45 30

3 SENIOR CITIZEN BY MEN 18 12

4 SENIOR CITIZEN BY WOMEN 15 10

TOTAL 150 100

GRAPH:



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In this table reveals that the distribution of the sampled rag pickers on the Basis of sex

male persons are outnumbered when compassed female Rag pickers in the study area. The 72

male persons (48%) are engaged in the Rag Picking work, then followed by 45 female persons

(30%). The senior citizen by men is 18 persons (12%) and the senior citizen by women is 15

persons (10%).

Thus the 48 percent of male persons are highly engaged in the field of Rag picking work then

women are 30 percent.

TABLE No.1.2

2. DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLEORIGIN:

SNO PLACE OF ORIGIN

1 WITHIN CHENNAI CITY

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

MALE FEMALE

DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE RAG PICKERS ON THE BASIS OF SEX

In this table reveals that the distribution of the sampled rag pickers on the Basis of sex





DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS ON THE BASIS OF

PLACE OF ORIGIN NO. OF PERSONS

WITHIN CHENNAI CITY 105

FEMALE SENIOR CITIZEN BY MEN

SENIOR CITIZEN BY WOMEN

DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE RAG PICKERS ON THE BASIS OF SEX WISE

NO. OF PERSONS PERCENTAGE

In this table reveals that the distribution of the sampled rag pickers on the Basis of sex-wise. The





RAG PICKERS ON THE BASIS OF PLACE OF


70

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

TOTAL

DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE RAG PICKERS ON THE BASIS OF SEX



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2 NEIGHBORING DISTRICT OF CHENNAI

3 SOUTH TAMIL NADU

4 OTHER THAN THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU

TOTAL

GRAPH:

The table No.1.2 explains the distribution of sampled Rag pickers on the basis place of

The place of origin of sampled migrant Rag pickers, within the Chennai City is 1

percent ) than in and around the Neighbouring district of Chennai is 18 Persons (12

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

WITHIN CHENNAI CITY

NEIGHBORING DISTRICT OF CHENNAI


NEIGHBORING DISTRICT OF CHENNAI 18

SOUTH TAMIL NADU 12

OTHER THAN THE STATE OF TAMIL 15

TOTAL 150

The table No.1.2 explains the distribution of sampled Rag pickers on the basis place of

The place of origin of sampled migrant Rag pickers, within the Chennai City is 1

) than in and around the Neighbouring district of Chennai is 18 Persons (12

NEIGHBORING DISTRICT OF CHENNAI

SOUTH TAMIL NADU OTHER THAN THE STATE OF TAMIL

NADU

DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS ON THE BASIS OF PLACE OF ORIGIN


12

8

10

100

The table No.1.2 explains the distribution of sampled Rag pickers on the basis place of origin.

The place of origin of sampled migrant Rag pickers, within the Chennai City is 105 persons (70

) than in and around the Neighbouring district of Chennai is 18 Persons (12 percent).

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

TOTAL




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The place of origin of other than Chennai City, that is the southern part of Tamilnadu is only 12

persons (8 per cent) interestingly, the other State of Tamilnadu, no one respondent engaged in

the work of Rag picking.

Thus, the son of the soil, that is Chennai respondents 70 percent are dominated In the field of

rag-picking work.

TABLE No.1.3

3. INCOME STATUS OF THE RESPONDENTS OF RAG PICKERS IN THE STUDY AREA ESPECIALLY MEN:

SNO LEVEL OF INCOME PER

MONTH NO. OF PERSONS PERCENTAGE

1 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 5,000 18 20

2 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 6,000 24 26.67

3 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 7,000 16 17.78



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4 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 8,000 12 13.33

5 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 9,000 9 10

6 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 10,000 6 6.67

7 MORE THAN RUPEES ₹ 10,000 5 5.55

TOTAL 90 100

GRAPH:



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The table No. 1.3. explains the Income status of the respondents of Ragpickers in the study area

especially by men.

The Income range of migrant Rag pickers are below Rs.5,000/

income range is Rs.6,000/- the 2

are only 16 respondents (17.78

respondents’ 13.33 percent) 9 respondents occupied the income level is Rs.9,000/

income status of Rs.10,000/- is 6 respondents only (0

Finally, the 5 respondents (

Rs.10,000/-

In this above table clearly states that the income level below Rs.5,000/

respondents. The percentagewise

BELOW RUPEES ₹ 5,000






MORE THAN RUPEES ₹ 10,000

TOTAL

12

34

56

7

1

BELOW RUPEES ₹

5,000

BELOW RUPEES ₹

PERCENTAGE 20

NO. OF PERSONS 18

INCOME STATUS OF THE RESPONDENTS OF RAG PICKERS IN

THE STUDY AREA ESPECIALLY MEN

PERCENTAGE


he Income range of migrant Rag pickers are below Rs.5,000/- is 18 persons (20 percent). The

the 24 respondents (26.67 percent), then the Income level Rs.7,000/

7.78 percent). Thereafter the income level Rs. 8,000/

13.33 percent) 9 respondents occupied the income level is Rs.9,000/

is 6 respondents only (06.67 percent).

Finally, the 5 respondents (5.55 percent) coming under the income category of more than

In this above table clearly states that the income level below Rs.5,000/

percentagewise is 81.78 percent. The 11 respondents having the income level

20

26.67

17.78

13.33

10

6.67

5.55

0 20 40 60 80








TOTAL

2 3 4 5 6

BELOW RUPEES ₹

6,000

BELOW RUPEES ₹

7,000

BELOW RUPEES ₹

8,000

BELOW RUPEES ₹

9,000

BELOW RUPEES ₹

10,000

26.67 17.78 13.33 10 6.67

24 16 12 9 6


THE STUDY AREA ESPECIALLY MEN

PERCENTAGE NO. OF PERSONS Linear (PERCENTAGE)


is 18 persons (20 percent). The

percent), then the Income level Rs.7,000/-

percent). Thereafter the income level Rs. 8,000/- are only 12

13.33 percent) 9 respondents occupied the income level is Rs.9,000/- only. The

percent) coming under the income category of more than

In this above table clearly states that the income level below Rs.5,000/- to Rs.9,000/- are 72

The 11 respondents having the income level

100

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

100 120

7

RUPEES ₹

MORE THAN

RUPEES ₹ 10,000

TOTAL

5.55 100

5 90


Linear (PERCENTAGE)



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is the below Rs.10,000/- and above Rs.10,000/- and sampled Rag pickers belongs to the men

category in the study area.

TABLE No.1.4

4. INCOME STATUS OF THE RESPONDENTS OF RAG PICKERS IN THE STUDY AREA ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN:

SNO LEVEL OF INCOME PER MONTH NO. OF PERSONS PERCENTAGE

1 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 5,000 21 35

2 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 6,000 18 30

3 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 7,000 12 20

4 BELOW RUPEES ₹ 8,000 5 8.33

5 MORE THAN RUPEES ₹ 9,000 4 6.67

TOTAL 60 100

GRAPH:



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Table No.1.4 represents the income status of the respondents of Ragpickers in the study

especially for women Rag pickers in the study area.

The 21 respondents (35 percent) having the income range is below Rs.5000. The income level is

Rs.6000 is, 18 respondents (60

percent) occupied income 5 respondents (

The income level is more than Rs.9000 are only 4 respondents (

Thus, in this sampled women rag pickers, their income range is below Rs.5000 to Rs.7000 in 51

respondents (85percent) and

Rs.8000 to 9000 only.

TABLE No.1.5

5. HOUSING CONDITIOS OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS IN THE STUDY AREA






TOTAL

12

34

5

1


PERCENTAGE 35

NO. OF PERSONS 21


THE STUDY AREA ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN

PERCENTAGE


especially for women Rag pickers in the study area.

percent) having the income range is below Rs.5000. The income level is

60 percent) belong to that income limit. The 12 respondents (

percent) occupied income 5 respondents (8.33 percent) having the income earn with Rs.8000.

The income level is more than Rs.9000 are only 4 respondents (6.67 percent)


the 09 respondents (15 percent) belong to the income ra

5. HOUSING CONDITIOS OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS IN THE STUDY AREA

35

30

20

8.33

6.67

0 20 40 60 80

2 3 4

BELOW RUPEES BELOW RUPEES ₹ 6,000




30 20 8.33 6.67

18 12 5



PERCENTAGE NO. OF PERSONS Linear (PERCENTAGE)


percent) having the income range is below Rs.5000. The income level is

percent) belong to that income limit. The 12 respondents (20

.33 percent) having the income earn with Rs.8000.

.67 percent)


percent) belong to the income range is

5. HOUSING CONDITIOS OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS IN THE STUDY AREA:

100

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

100 120

5


TOTAL

6.67 100

4 60



Linear (PERCENTAGE)



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:47

SNO HOUSING CONDITIONS NO. OF

PERSONS PERCENTAGE

1 SMALL HUTS IN THE PORAMPOKKU LAND

51 34

2 SMALL HUTS BESIDE THE RAILWAY TRACK LINE

48 32

3 SMALL HUTS BESIDE THE DRAINAGE AREAS

42 28

4 RENTED HOUSE WITH TILED ROOF 9 6

5 RENTED HOUSE IN THE CITY RURAL AREAS

0 0

TOTAL 150 100

GRAPH:



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:48

The present table No.1.5 represent the housing conditions of sampled Rag pickers in the study

area.

In general, in this present research work, the single majority of the 51 respondents (34 percent)

live in the small huts in the porampokku land, then followed by 48 respondents (32 percent) lives

in the small huts on the railway track line. The 42 r

huts in the drainage areas. The limited no of 09 respondents lives in the rented houses in the tiled

roof. Even though none of the respondents of Ragpickers in the study area live in the rented

house in the city areas.

We can conclude that the large majority of the 141 respondents (94 percent) live under the

porampokku land, railway track line, and drainage areas.

TABLE No.1.6

28

6

0

0 20

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

SMALL HUTS IN THE PORAMPOKKU

LAND

SMALL HUTS BESIDE THE

RAILWAY TRACK LINE

1 2

HOUSING CONDITIOS OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS IN THE STUDY

NO. OF PERSONS




in the small huts on the railway track line. The 42 respondents (28 percent) lives in the small




porampokku land, railway track line, and drainage areas.

34

32

28

40 60 80


RAILWAY TRACK LINE


DRAINAGE AREAS

RENTED HOUSE WITH TILED ROOF

RENTED HOUSE IN THE CITY RURAL

AREAS

3 4

HOUSING CONDITIOS OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS IN THE STUDY AREA

NO. OF PERSONS PERCENTAGE Linear (PERCENTAGE)




espondents (28 percent) lives in the small




100

100 120

RENTED HOUSE IN THE CITY RURAL

AREAS

TOTAL

5

HOUSING CONDITIOS OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS IN THE STUDY

Linear (PERCENTAGE)



ISSN No: 0005-0601

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6. OCCUPTIONAL STATUS OF RAG PICKERS AT THE PRE-MIGRATION PERIOD:

SNO

TYPES OF OCCUPATION MALE FEMALE TOTA

L PERCENTAG

E

1 RAG PICKING 33 17 50 33.33

2 HOUSE MAID 6 18 24 16

3 STREET VENDORS 21 10 31 20.67

4 CAUSAL LABORERS 16 12 28 18.67

5 SEASONAL WORKS 14 3 17 11.33

TOTAL 90 60 150 100

GRAPH:



ISSN No: 0005-0601

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Table No.1.6 represents the occupational status of rag pickers at the pre

The 33 male respondents (22 percent) previously engaged with rag picking work and on the

other hand, 12 female respondents (11.33) encaged by the rag

period. Altogether 33.33 percent of respondents have mainly participated in the rag

work.

The 24 respondents (16 percent) both male and female belong to the housemaid works then

followed by 31 respondents (20.67 percent) mix with male and f

field of the street vending business. The 28 male and female respondents (18.67 percent) have

worked as casual labour works respectively.

Finally, the meager of 17 respondents both male and females are having seasonal work

basis now and then available within the study area.

Thus, the majority of the 50 respondents have encaged in the rag

migration period.

0 20

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

RAG PICKING HOUSE MAID

1 2

OCCUPTIONAL STATUS OF RAG PICKERS AT THE PRE

MALE FEMALE

represents the occupational status of rag pickers at the pre-migration period.


other hand, 12 female respondents (11.33) encaged by the rag-picking work at the pre

period. Altogether 33.33 percent of respondents have mainly participated in the rag


followed by 31 respondents (20.67 percent) mix with male and female is actively engaged in the


worked as casual labour works respectively.

meager of 17 respondents both male and females are having seasonal work

basis now and then available within the study area.

Thus, the majority of the 50 respondents have encaged in the rag-picking working during the pre

40 60 80

HOUSE MAID STREET VENDORS

CAUSAL LABORERS

SEASONAL WORKS

2 3 4

OCCUPTIONAL STATUS OF RAG PICKERS AT THE PRE-MIGRATION PERIOD

FEMALE PERCENTAGE TOTAL

migration period.


picking work at the pre-migration

period. Altogether 33.33 percent of respondents have mainly participated in the rag-picking


emale is actively engaged in the


meager of 17 respondents both male and females are having seasonal works on the

picking working during the pre-

100 120

SEASONAL WORKS

TOTAL

5

MIGRATION

Linear (TOTAL )



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:51

TABLE No.1.7

7. OCCUPTIONAL STATUS OF RAG PICKERS AT THE POST-MIGRATION PERIOD:

SNO TYPES OF OCCUPATION MALE FEMALE TOTAL

1 RAG PICKING 90 60 150

2 HOUSE MAID 0 0 0

3 STREET VENDORS 0 0 0

4 CAUSAL LABORERS 0 0 0

5 SEASONAL WORKS 0 0 0

TOTAL 90 60 150



ISSN No: 0005-0601

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GRAPH:

Table No.1.7 represents the Occupational status of

The 90 male respondents (60 percent) currently encaged in the rag

female respondents (40 percent) are mainly doing rag picking work.

When compared to the pre-migration status of occupa

picking works at the post-migration period.

MATHEMATICAL APPLICATION :

Chi-square test

Male

Pre-migration 33

Post migration 90

123

90

0

60

0

150

00

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

RAG PICKING HOUSE MAID

1 2

OCCUPTIONAL STATUS OF RAG PICKERS AT THE POST

MALE

Table No.1.7 represents the Occupational status of Ragpickers during the post

The 90 male respondents (60 percent) currently encaged in the rag-picking works and then 60

female respondents (40 percent) are mainly doing rag picking work.

migration status of occupation level entirely changed into the rag

migration period.

MATHEMATICAL APPLICATION :

Occupational changes

Male Female Total

33 17 50

90 60 150

123 72 200

0 0 00 0 00 0 0

HOUSE MAID STREET VENDORS CAUSAL LABORERS

SEASONAL WORKS

3 4 5

OCCUPTIONAL STATUS OF RAG PICKERS AT THE POSTMIGRATION PERIOD

FEMALE TOTAL Linear (MALE )

Ragpickers during the post-migration period.

picking works and then 60

tion level entirely changed into the rag-

90

60

150

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

TOTAL

5

OCCUPTIONAL STATUS OF RAG PICKERS AT THE POST-

Linear (MALE )



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:53

Let us take the hypothesis that there is a change of occupational level in the pre-migration and

post migration period.

Observed Frequency Expected Frequency O-E (O-E)2 (O-E)2

E

33 30.75 – 2.25 5.072 0.153

90 92.25 – 2.25 5.072 0.056

17 19.25 – 2.25 5.072 0.298

60 57.75 + 2.25 5.072 0.845

25.36 1.352

(O-E)2

E

The degrees of freedom is 1

Table value of Chi-Square 0.05 for 1 degrees of freedom 3.841

Rule: If the calculated value of Chi-Square is less than the table value at a certain level of

significance, the hypothesis is correct and vice versa.

Then we conclude the framework the hypothesis is correct

Calculated value is 1.352

Table value

1 degrees of freedom is : 3.841.

=1.352



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:54

TABLE No.1.8

8. ENGAGEMENT OF RAG PICKING WORK DURING THE RAINY SEASON:

SNO NATURE OF THE WORK NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

1

INVOLVEMENT OF WORK DURING THE RAINY SEASON AND MINDSET OF CHANGING THE OCCUPATION

12 8

2 EXTREME DIFFICULT TO WORK DURING RAINY SEASON

90 60

3 MODERATE DIFFICULT TO WORK DURING RAINY SEASON

42 28

4 WORK AS USUAL NO DIFFERENCE DURING RAINY SEASON

8 4

TOTAL 152 100



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:55

GRAPH:

Table No.1.8 represents the engagement of Rag picking work

respondents (08 percent) say that

The large majority of the 90 respondents (60 percent) say that the rag

difficult and very hard during the

moderate difficult to work at the time of the rainy season. The 8 respondents say that

usual no difference at the time of the rainy season by doing the rag

INVOLVEMENT OF WORK

DURING THE RAINY SEASON AND MINDSET OF CHANGING

OCCUPATION

NO. OF RESPONDENTS

PERCENTAGE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

ENGAGEMENT OF RAG PICKING WORK DURING THE RAINY

Table No.1.8 represents the engagement of Rag picking work during the rainy season. The 12

respondents (08 percent) say that mindset of changing the occupation due to the rainy season.

The large majority of the 90 respondents (60 percent) say that the rag-picking work is

very hard during the rainy season. The 42 respondents (28 percent) say that the

at the time of the rainy season. The 8 respondents say that

no difference at the time of the rainy season by doing the rag-picking work.

INVOLVEMENT OF WORK

DURING THE RAINY SEASON AND MINDSET OF CHANGING

THE OCCUPATION

EXTREME DIFFICULT TO

WORK DURING RAINY SEASON

MODERATE DIFFICULT TO

WORK DURING RAINY SEASON

WORK AS USUAL NO

DIFFERENCE DURING RAINY

SEASON

1 2 3

12 90 42 8

8 60 28 4

12

90

42

8

ENGAGEMENT OF RAG PICKING WORK DURING THE RAINY SEASON

NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

during the rainy season. The 12

changing the occupation due to the rainy season.

picking work is Extreme

28 percent) say that the

at the time of the rainy season. The 8 respondents say that work as

picking work.

WORK AS USUAL NO

DIFFERENCE DURING RAINY

SEASON

TOTAL

4

152

100

152

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

ENGAGEMENT OF RAG PICKING WORK DURING THE RAINY



ISSN No: 0005-0601

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TABLE No.1.9

9. ALCOHOL DRINKS HABITS OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS:

SNO THE LEVEL OF ALCOHOL

HABITS NO. OF

RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

1 ALCOHOL DAILY INTAKE 120 80

2 ALCOHOL INTAKE WEEKLY THREE TIMES

25 16.67

3 ALCOHOL INTAKE WEEKLY TWO TIMES

5 3.33

4 ALCOHOL INTAKE OCCASIONALLY

0 0

TOTAL 150 100



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:57

GRAPH:

In this Table, No.1.9 shows that the 120 respondents having a daily intake of alcohol due to his

work burden, the 25 respondents say that intake of alcohol on three Times per week. The

meager number of respondents that is 5 persons are having with the habit of al

two times. Even though among the 150 respondents in the study area no one

Alcohol drink on occasion only.

Thus, we can conclude that the total majority of respondents having a habit of Alcohol drinks.

ALCOHOL DAILY INTAKE

NO. OF RESPONDENTS

PERCENTAGE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

ALCOHOL DRINKS HABITS OF SAMPLED RAG PICKERS

NO. OF RESPONDENTS

able, No.1.9 shows that the 120 respondents having a daily intake of alcohol due to his


meager number of respondents that is 5 persons are having with the habit of al

two times. Even though among the 150 respondents in the study area no one

Alcohol drink on occasion only.


ALCOHOL DAILY INTAKE

ALCOHOL INTAKE WEEKLY

THREE TIMES

ALCOHOL INTAKE

WEEKLY TWO TIMES

ALCOHOL INTAKE

OCCASIONALLY

1 2 3

120 25 5 0

80 16.67 3.33 0

120

25

5 0

80

16.67

3.33 0


NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE Linear (NO. OF RESPONDENTS)

able, No.1.9 shows that the 120 respondents having a daily intake of alcohol due to his


meager number of respondents that is 5 persons are having with the habit of alcohol is weekly

two times. Even though among the 150 respondents in the study area no one person’s having an


ALCOHOL

OCCASIONALLTOTAL

4

150

100

150

100

0

20

40

60

80

100

120


Linear (NO. OF RESPONDENTS)



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:58

TABLE No.1.10

10. AWARENESS ABOUT EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN BY THE SAMPLE RAG PICKERS:

SNO TYPE OF SCHOOLS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

1 GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS 120 80

2 PRIVATE SCHOOLS 0 0

3 CHILDREN’S ASSISTANCE NEEDED AT THE TIME OF RAG PICKING

10 6.67

4 SCHOOL DROPOUTS 20 13.33

TOTAL 150 100



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:59

GRAPH:

Table No.1.10 represents the awareness about educating their children by the sampled Rag

pickers in the study area. The 120 respondents (80 percent) provide education to their children

by Government Schools and

follows. One is 20 respondents (13.33%) who don’t have the willingness to send the schools by

their own children, which is school Dropouts. Secondly, 10 respondents (6.67 percent) say that

the need for their children’s Assistance at t

chance to grow for child rag pickers among our society.

GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

NO. OF RESPONDENTS

PERCENTAGE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

AWARENESS ABOUT EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN BY THE

NO. OF RESPONDENTS



and find out the two alarming situations in the



the need for their children’s Assistance at the time of Rag picking. It also reveals that it is a

chance to grow for child rag pickers among our society.

GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

CHILDREN’S ASSISTANCE NEEDED AT

THE TIME OF RAG PICKING

SCHOOL DROPOUTS

1 2 3 4

120 0 10 20

80 0 6.67 13.33

80

06.67

13.33

AWARENESS ABOUT EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN BY THE SAMPLE RAG PICKERS

NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE Linear (PERCENTAGE)



find out the two alarming situations in the present study is as



he time of Rag picking. It also reveals that it is a

TOTAL

4

150

100

100

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

AWARENESS ABOUT EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN BY THE

Linear (PERCENTAGE)



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:60

TABLE No.1.11

11. APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES BY SAMPLE RAG PICKERS:

SNO TYPE OF HEALTH CARE NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

1 GOVERNMENT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

85 56.67

2 DIRECT MEDICAL SHOPS APPROACH

50 33.33

3 COUNTRY MEDICINE 10 6.67

4 SIDDHA MEDICINE 5 3.33

TOTAL 150 100



ISSN No: 0005-0601

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GRAPH:

Table No.1.11 represents the approach to the health care facilities by sampled Rag pickers in the

study area. The 85 respondents (56.67 percent) say that to utilize the government primary health

care facilities while at the time of whenever suffering the

respondents (33.33) say that whenever suffering from their health when ultimately go for

medical shops only. Finally,

respondents (6.67 percent) and the 05 respondents (

of the 85 respondents depend upon the government's primary health care facilities.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

The present study only focused on the Ragpickers in the Chennai Metropolitan city only. The

sample of No. of Respondent of

the present study is the savings and indebtedness is invisible among th

GOVERNMENT PRIMARY

HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

NO. OF RESPONDENTS

PERCENTAGE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES BY SAMPLE RAG

NO. OF RESPONDENTS



care facilities while at the time of whenever suffering the diseases when followed by 50


Finally, to utilize the country medicine and Siddha medicine, the

respondents (6.67 percent) and the 05 respondents (3.33 percent) respectively. Thus

depend upon the government's primary health care facilities.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:


sample of No. of Respondent of migrant RagPickers only on 150 persons. The excluding part of

the present study is the savings and indebtedness is invisible among the migrant Ragpickers. The

GOVERNMENT PRIMARY

HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

DIRECT MEDICAL

SHOPS APPROACH

COUNTRY MEDICINE

SIDDHA MEDICINE

1 2 3

85 50 10 5

56.67 33.33 6.67 3.33

85

50

105

56.67

33.33

6.673.33

APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES BY SAMPLE RAG PICKERS

NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE Linear (NO. OF RESPONDENTS)



diseases when followed by 50


to utilize the country medicine and Siddha medicine, the

respectively. Thus the majority

depend upon the government's primary health care facilities.


ickers only on 150 persons. The excluding part of

e migrant Ragpickers. The

TOTAL

4

150

100

150

3.33

100

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES BY SAMPLE RAG

Linear (NO. OF RESPONDENTS)



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:62

major reason for behind this situation is their income and working condition is unstable, as a

consequence, their savings and indebtedness is lack one.

CONCLUSION:

In the present study only focused on the livelihood pattern of Ragpickers in Chennai city. The

Ragpickers is one of the instruments for Socio-economic development of the country because

they are collecting the human used waste materials and then marketing of the entire product one

environmental aspect is cleaning the public places and another economic aspect is earning

revenue of their own hands, it leads to self-sufficiency without any formal support. To sum up,

the Ragpickers to elevate their life by own hands and less. In order to support their life, we

would like to promulgate some effective policies to uplift Ragpicker's betterment of their future.

REFERENCES:

1. The Editorials on clear Bias against Domestic workers Economic and political weekly July

22, 2017, Vol.L 11 No.29 P 8-9.

2. Venkatesh Athereya “Labour, state and society in Rural India A class relational Approach –

Dynamics of Rural class relations Economic and Political Weekly Vol.LIV No,36 September 7

, 2019, Page 23-25.

3. K.Kalpana“Old and New Erode Union Activism organizing women informal workers in

Tamilnadu Economic and political weekly Vo.LIV No.50, December 21, 2019 Page 49 – 56

4. VIJITHA RAJAN “Stolen Childhoods? Observations on education of migrant children “

Economic and political weekly, March 17, 2018, Vol.LIII No.11 Page 24 – 27.

5. Supriya Srivastava “Migration and street vending: An analysis of street vendors in Solan

city of Himachal Pradesh. The Eastern Anthropologist Vo.72, No.192 Jan, June – 2019, Page

No.93-113.

6. Pyali Chatterjee (2015) “Child Rag pickers in India and violation of their Human rights”

European Researcher Vol.91, No.2 PP, 155 – 162,



ISSN No: 0005-0601

Page No:63

7. Edwards, Henry Sutherland (1893), Old and New Paris: Its history, its people, and its places.

(https://books.google.com/books?id=oHIDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA360&dq=#v

=onepage&q&f=false). Cassell and Co.pp.360-365.

8.The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1904). "The Workers in Waste Products".

Public Opinion(https://books.google.com/books?id=atYaAAAAYAAJ

&pg=PA782&dq=#v=onepage&q&f=false)

9.http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/rag-pickers-services-will-be-

recognised-by-government-to-give-national-award/article7382780.ece

10.K.L.Kamat rag pickers of India, Kamat’s potpourri, the page last updated December 18, 2019,

Page No.1 &2



ISSN No: 0005-0601

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Documents

SUBALTERN STUDIES ON MIGRANT INFORMAL WORKERS WITH SPECIAL