Labour Day 2025: Know the Heart-wrenching Struggles of Construction Workers

On Labour Day 2025, let’s pay tribute to the unsung heroes of our dream homes – Indian Construction Workers, who pour their strength and sweat into bringing others' visions into reality. These spirited laborers bear exhausting conditions, unsafe environments, and irregular wages, often ignored by many of us. From standing long hours under the boiling sun to battling with unsecured jobs, their tireless dedication demands the limelight. This Labor Day, let's voice out their unread pages of hardship, courage, and challenges.

Wage insecurity

In India, most of the construction workers earn insufficient salaries, even below a living wage. Without fixed contracts, they live in constant financial uncertainty, battling to afford necessities like food and shelter. Still, fair payment methods remain a distant dream for millions of construction workers in India.

Poor Sanitation

Construction workers live in raw and ready shelters near the construction sites with a lack of basic amenities like sanitation, electricity, clean water, toilets, and kitchens. This kind of second-rate living atmosphere and poor hygiene lead to severe health conditions such as waterborne disease, affecting their overall well-being and productivity.

Lack of Safety Measures

Construction sites are often with life threats, where safety gear is seldom provided or it is substandard. Labors keep their lives at risk daily with fatal conditions and accidents worryingly common in India. As per the data available on global occupational safety, the construction sector remains one of the most vulnerable industries, where millions of injuries and workplace deaths are reported annually.

Oppression and Discrimination

Women, migrant laborers, and lower caste workers face extreme bias and exploitation on sites. They face exploitation through low wages, denial of breaks, and excessive hours. Even, they face discrimination based on gender and migrant status, leading to unequal pay, prohibiting from better opportunities, and harsher work tasks.

Limited Social Security and Benefits

Labors working in the unorganized construction industry get limited access to social security measures such as retirement plans, health insurance, or provident funds. The management leaves laborers vulnerable to poor economic stability and occupational risks through low wages and informal employment patterns.