Decent Work in Ahmedabad: an Integrated Approach
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
I L O A s i a - Pacific Working Paper Series Decent work in Ahmedabad: An integrated approach Darshini Mahadevia June 2012 DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific ILO Asia-Pacific Working Paper Series Decent work in Ahmedabad: An integrated approach Darshini Mahadevia June 2012 DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Copyright © International Labour Organization 2012 First published 2012 Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Nevertheless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to ILO Publications (Rights and Permissions), International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or by email: [email protected]. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications. Libraries, institutions and other users registered with reproduction rights organizations may make copies in accordance with the licences issued to them for this purpose. Visit www.ifrro.org to find the reproduction rights organization in your country. Mahadevia, Darshini Decent work in Ahmedabad : an integrated approach / Darshini Mahadevia ; ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific ; ILO DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India. - Bangkok: ILO, 2012 xii, 54 p. (ILO Asia-Pacific working paper series) ISBN: 9789221262534 (web pdf) ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; ILO DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India decent work / urban development / economic aspects / governance / social protection / employment creation / India 13.01.3 ILO Cataloguing in Publication Data The designations employed in ILO publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Labour Office concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office of the opinions expressed in them. Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement by the International Labour Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is not a sign of disapproval. ILO publications and electronic products can be obtained through major booksellers or ILO local offices in many countries, or direct from ILO Publications, International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 11th Floor, United Nations Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand, or by email: [email protected]. Catalogues or lists of new publications are available free of charge from the above address, or by email: [email protected]. Visit our website: www.ilo.org/publns or www.ilo.org/asia. Printed in Thailand ii Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Preface The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work. It promotes rights at work and encourages decent employment opportunities, enhanced social protection and strengthened dialogue processes in handling work-related issues. As countries in the Asia-Pacific region continue to recover from the global economic crisis, the ILO Decent Work Agenda and the Global Jobs Pact provide critical policy frameworks to strengthen the foundations for a more inclusive and sustainable future. Given the importance of Asia’s rapid urbanization, the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific has commissioned a series of research papers on decent work opportunities and challenges in Asia’s cities. This paper, written by Darshini Mahadevia of the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University in India, analyses the urbanization trends in Ahmedabad, India’s seventh-largest city, and the policy challenges related to urban development and decent work. This paper is part of the ILO Asia-Pacific Working Paper Series, which aims to contribute to our knowledge of the issues, stimulate their discussion and encourage knowledge sharing and further research that will promote decent work in Asia and the Pacific. Alcestis Abrera-Mangahas Officer-in-Charge Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific iii iv Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Contents Preface ………………………………………………………………………………………..............iii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………vii Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………...ix Acronyms………………………………………………………………………………………………xi 1. Context of a high-growth economy .................................................................................................... 1 2. Conceptualizing an integrated approach to decent work .................................................................... 6 2.1 Concept of decent work ................................................................................................................ 6 2.2 Shelter security and land policy .................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Employment – shelter links through affordable transport ............................................................ 9 2.4 Work at adequate wages and social security measures ................................................................. 9 2.5 Labour-intensive growth path ....................................................................................................... 9 2.6 Inclusive citizenship ..................................................................................................................... 9 3. Ahmedabad’s political economy ....................................................................................................... 11 4. Ahmedabad’s demographics and economic base .............................................................................. 14 4.1 Demography ............................................................................................................................... 14 4.2 Economic base ............................................................................................................................ 16 5. Work and wages ................................................................................................................................ 18 5.1 Participation and quality of work ............................................................................................... 18 5.2 Wages and income ...................................................................................................................... 22 6. Labour legislation and social security schemes ................................................................................ 25 6.1 Overall situation ......................................................................................................................... 25 6.2 Welfare boards for social security of unorganized workers ....................................................... 26 7. Shelter security as an integrated approach to decent work ............................................................... 31 8. Labour-intensive growth strategy ..................................................................................................... 35 8.1 Integration of street vendors into urban planning ....................................................................... 35 8.2 Partnership with waste pickers ................................................................................................... 37 9. Urban citizenship and access to welfare programmes ...................................................................... 39 9.1 Attaining citizenship in Ahmedabad .......................................................................................... 39 9.2 Access to welfare schemes ......................................................................................................... 40 10. Associations and participation ........................................................................................................ 43 11. Assessing the policy coherence and the way forward ..................................................................... 45 Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific v Annex: Individual cases of construction workers ................................................................................. 49 References ............................................................................................................................................. 51 Tables Table 1: Real gross domestic product growth rates (% per annum)………………………............... 2 Table 2: Composition of growth, India and Gujarat state (at constant prices) (% per annum)…….. 2 Table 3: Structure of economy and employment, Gujarat and India (%)…………………………... 3 Table 4: Compounded annual growth rate of population (% per annum) and Ahmedabad urban agglomeration population……………………………………………. 3 Table 5: Percentage of workers employed in the informal sector, 2004–05……………………….. 4 Table 6: Population of select metropolitan cities in India and their population growth rates…… 14