Wellbeing and Labour Conditions In Modern Construction Industry

Abstract

In this paper, we empirically examine the conditions of labour and workers' wellbeing in contemporary world of construction work in respect to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the last three decades of neoliberal reforms, construction industry has completely reshaped and emerged as the second most priority destination of FDI equity inflow as well as 2nd largest employer of non-formal workforce in India. Thus, using descriptive analytics, the analysis is based on primary data collected by interviewing 400 construction workers at the sampled large construction worksites spread across Delhi National Capital Region of both public and private MNCs. The findings describes that more flexible hiring process has weakened the compliance on conditions of work, safety, and other welfare measures. Further, de-facto reinforcing the traditional non-standard norms of labour mobilization has not only trapped the workers in neo-bondage kind of labour relations, but growth without decent wellbeing of stakeholders is in complete contradiction to what neoliberal claims of 'free the agency of labour' and what most of the government committed to SDGs goals. © The Electrochemical Society