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Agriculture Labour

Prof. Hanumant Yadav


HNLU, Raipur

Dr. Hanumant Yadav

Agriculture Labour in India


Agricultural workers constitute the most
neglected class in Indian rural structure.
Their income is low and employment irregular.
Since, they possess no skill or training, they have
no alternative employment opportunities either.
Socially, a large number of agricultural workers
belong to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
They are not organised and they cannot fight for
their rights

Dr. Hanumant Yadav

Agriculture Labour
The First Agricultural Labour Enquiry
Committee (1950-55 ) defined
Agricultural Labourer as - "Those people
who are engaged in raising crops on
payment of wages
According to the National Commission on
Labour "an agricultural labourer is one
who is basically unskilled and unorganised
and has little for its livelihood, other than
personal labour."
Dr. Hanumant Yadav

Classification of Agricultural
Labourers
Agricultural labourers can be divided into four
categories 1. Landless Labourers, who are attached to the
land lords;
2. Landless labourers, who are personally
independent, but who work exclusively for others;
3. Petty farmers with tiny bits of land who devote
most of their time working for others and
4. Farmers who have economic holdings but who
have one or more of their sons and dependants
working for other prosperous farmers
Dr. Hanumant Yadav

Agriculture Labour
Agricultural labourers can also be divided in the
following manner :
1 - Landless agricultural labourers : There are two
categories of Landless labourer :
(a) Permanent
Labourers attached to cultivating households
(b) Casual workers
2- Very small cultivators whose main source of earnings
due to their small and sub-marginal holdings is wage
employment. They are divided into three subgroups :
(i) Cultivators
(ii) Share croppers
(iii) Lease holders
Dr. Hanumant Yadav

Characteristics of Agricultural
Labourers
1. Agricultural Labourers are Scattered
in 5.6 lakh villages.
2. They are unskilled and lack training.
3. They are unorganised also majority of
them are illiterate and ignorant.
4. Low Social status. Belong to
suppressed class.
5. Seasonal Change in Demand and Supply
Dr. Hanumant Yadav

Causes of Growth of Agriculture


Labour
1. Increase in population
2. Decline of cottage industries and handicrafts
3. Eviction of small farmers and tenants from land
4. Uneconomic Holdings
5. Increase in indebtedness
6. Spread of the use of money and exchange system
7. Capitalistic Agriculture
8. Displacement of means of subsidiary occupations
9. Disintegration of peasantry
10. Break-up of joint family system.
Dr. Hanumant Yadav

Measures by the Government to


improve the Conditions of Agriculture labourer
1. Passing of minimum wage Act.
2. Abolition of Bonded Labourers Act 1975
3. Providing land to landless labourers
4. Provision of Housing cities to houseless
5. Special schemes for providing employment :
NREP, JRY, SGRY, MGNAREGA,
6. Other programmes : TRYSEM, DWCRA,
IRDP,
7. Skill Development Programs \
8. Laws relating to child labour, Migrant labour
Dr. Hanumant Yadav

Minimum Wages Act 1948


Under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act,
1948, both the Central and State Governments are
the appropriate Governments to fix and revise the
minimum wages for agriculture labourers
under
their respective jurisdictions.
As per Section 3 (1) (b) of the Minimum Wages Act,
1948, the appropriate Government shall review
atsuch intervals,not exceeding five years, the
minimum rates of wages so fixed and revise the
minimum rates, if necessary.
Accordingly, the appropriate Governments
review/revise minimum wages from time to time.
Dr. Hanumant Yadav

Consumer Price Index for


Agricultural Labourers
The District authorities fix the minimum
wages for agriculture labourers time to
time on the basis of Consumer Price
Index Numbers for Agricultural Labourers
( General Index on Base: 1986-87=100 )
prepared by Labour Bureau Shimla.
The Base year of Current Consumer Price
Index is 1986-87 = 100.

Dr. Hanumant Yadav

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Agriculture Labour
Seasonal unemployment is a characteristic feature of
Indian agricultural and under employment of man
power is inherent in the system of family farming.
According to first Agriculture Labour Enquiry Committee
(A.L.E.C. )) adult male agricultural labourers were
employed on wages for 189 days in agricultural work and
for 29 days in non-agricultural work i.e. 218 day in all.
They were self-employed for 75 days.
Casual male workers found employment for only 200
days, while attached workers were employed for 326
days in a year.
Women workers employed for 134 days in a year.

Dr. Hanumant Yadav

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Suggestions for the Improvement of


Agricultural Labour :
1. Better implementation of legislative
measures.
2. Improvement the bargaining position.
3. Resettlement of agricultural workers
4. Creating alternative sources of employment
5. Protection of women and child labourers
6. Public works programmes should be for
longer period in year
7. Improving the working conditions
Dr. Hanumant Yadav

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Suggestions for the Improvement of


Agricultural Labour
8. Regulation of hours of work
9. Improvements in Agricultural sector
10. Credit at cheaper rates of interest on
easy terms of payment for undertaking
subsidiary occupation.
11. Proper training for improving the skill of
farm labourers
12. Cooperative farming

Dr. Hanumant Yadav

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