Woman farm workers being paid less wages

Monday, July-08-2013

Woman farm workers are earning very poor return despite working hard in a hostile and humid weather. The women enaged in transplantation of nursary (Laab) for paddy crop in an agriculture farm near world acclaimed rice production area of Narang Mandi, said talking APP on Sunday.

“From dawn to dusk working in a standing water under high  temperature fetches only Rs 250-350 for each of us”, said Nooran  Changri, an elderly women. She said she had to work to make both ends meet in this age of 65 with other family members.

“There is no choice for us but to do this tough and ticklish job as we do’nt have any alternate means of earning “, she said.

Nasreen Mustfa, another middle aged women, told that women  worked in groups to share the work load of old people and children, adding that “We equally share money we earn through laboure.”

She said a group of 30-35 labourers could complete five to six acres of paddy transplantation in a day. An amount of Rs 1,800 per acre is wage rate of the transplantation, she added.

“We have also to travell from our homes to fields,” she said. Some times, farm owners provided transport and one time food to the abour, she said.The farm workers said job opportunity for them was on seasonal basis. They get job during paddy transplantation for only 20-30 days and will wait till harvest.

They demanded the authorities to take steps for their welfare and provide them social security and create job opportunities for them.

Courtesy: The Nation
News Source                                                                                     News Collated by agrinfobank.com