ABSTRACT
The migration of workers, often pushed by the crisis in rural areas and the farm sector, plays an important role in shaping the urban process in India. For various reasons, migrants become vulnerable in the cities; the majority of them are forced to engage in precarious jobs available in the urban informal sector. They play a critical role in providing a wide range of services in the cities and making cities liveable but face several challenges in the workplace and outside. Using the primary data collected from three Labour Addas in the city of Hyderabad, this chapter attempts to understand the socio-economic and working conditions of Labour Adda workers in Hyderabad, the migration dynamics of these workers, and also the living conditions. The analysis reveals considerable diversity in terms of caste, religion, linguistic composition, and educational status across the Labour Addas. The findings reveal that though the per day earning of the Labour Adda workers is higher than the minimum wage specified for the construction or maintenance of roads and building operations specified by the Government of Telangana, irregularity in getting jobs makes their monthly income lower than that of the prescribed monthly income of unskilled and semi-skilled workers. This survey indicates that the majority of the Labour Adda workers are permanent migrants, and social networks played a major role in finding a job in the city. In terms of living conditions, the survey unfolds that the Labour Adda workers face unfavourable living conditions in terms of poor sanitation, solid waste management, and overcrowding. The study highlights several issues and challenges faced by Labour Adda workers and calls for committed and timely engagement to address them.
