Remember! They are our guests

Migrant workers, also known as guest workers, have turned out to be an indispensable part of the daily lives of the people of Kerala. Kerala today relies heavily on migrant workers for various jobs, including construction, hotel work, agriculture, domestic work, coconut plantations, and rubber tapping. Unofficial estimates suggest that around four lakh migrant workers work in various sectors of employment in Kerala. However, this may not be the true numbers as no hitherto official data are precise.

Many of the migrant workers have already made Kerala their home and are domiciled here with their families. It may not be so long before they enter government sector jobs. Their contribution to the development and progress of Kerala in the last two decades is immense.

Despite being crucial players in the progress of the state, many Keralites, including the government, still view them with scepticism. Recently, three young migrant workers from West Bengal, Rabul, Abdul Alam, and Rabul Islam, died tragically after a building they lived in collapsed in Kodakara, Thrissur. Despite many warnings, the labour and local government departments didn't care to conduct an inspection over the safety of this building, which resulted in the tragedy.

The time-worn construction and the heavy rain did the work to bring down the building that was already on the verge of collapsing. The 17 workers living there were getting ready to go to work when they heard a loud noise from the top of the building around 6 am. Out of the four people who ran out through the front of the house, three died after being crushed under the collapsed concrete slabs. Those who ran through the back of the building managed to escape. If the incident were to happen at night, Kerala would have been woken up the next day to news of yet another catastrophe.

To prevent such accidents from happening again, the concerned government departments should immediately conduct a safety audit of the buildings where migrant workers live. The labour contractors who rent out houses are only interested in the commission, but not in the safety or well-being of the workers. We lament the inadequacies in the accommodation facilities of expatriate workers in the Gulf, while keeping a blind eye to the worse accommodation facilities provided to workers in Kerala.

The Minister of Labour has instructed the Labour Commissioner to investigate this incident and submit a detailed report. Along with this, the government should also be ready to take necessary action by seeking reports on the places where they live in other districts. It is condemnable that no social organisation has hitherto come forward to intervene on their behalf and stand up for their rights. It is our duty as hosts to resolve the deplorable conditions of the accommodation of guest workers.