(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Social status, more savings and the hope of providing a better future for children are the major factors that drive Indians to look for jobs overseas, Gulf Times has found.
With the employment situation improving considerably in India, the number of people seeking work abroad has come down significantly, particularly among the unskilled and semiskilled groups. But still a good number of people are eager to leave their homes for better pastures, hoping the move would help them save more money and provide better education for their children, this correspondent has learnt during his recent visit to India .
In the villages and small towns of India, people who had taken up jobs abroad, especially in the Gulf countries, are better off than their peers, it was found.
Most of the NRIs have invested their earnings wisely back home
Steady monthly income big draw for Indians looking for Gulf jobs
Marked improvement in living and working conditions in Qatar
Salaries and perks have gone up but inflation still a concern
Workers eagerly awaiting amended labour law
Employers meeting contractual obligations
Manpower companies need to be strictly regulated
Most of them have been able to buy land, build houses, send their children to better educational institutions and maintain better living standards for the entire family. There was also a time when there was a big demand for the foreign goods brought in by the returning non-resident Indians (NRIs). The craze has subsided as most of these products are available in India at reasonable prices now.
The regular monthly income that jobs in the Gulf guarantee is the main attraction for people who do irregular jobs and are paid on a daily basis. They are of the view that a regular job and a monthly income would give stability to their lives and they can plan their budget more effectively.
"Though some people were not able to make much of their overseas jobs, the vast majority of the non-resident population has been able to make use of the opportunity and save money," sources in the recruitment fraternity said. "But making more money in the Gulf comes at a cost for those people who cannot afford to keep their families with them," a social activist said. "When the man of the house is away for periods as long as two years, that causes problems but people make a compromise, mostly in favour of the extra money," he added. "The worker also has to suffer separation from family and hot weather conditions in the Gulf."
With the Government of India taking several steps to control illegal recruitment , many workers feel that it will be easier and cheaper for them to go through the recruitment process for overseas jobs.
Mohan Singh, a welder, who had been looking for a job in the Gulf said that he had been visiting recruitment agencies for more than a month in Mumbai. He explained: "I know that it is not easy to work in a foreign country. The climatic conditions might be difficult. I also know, that I have to face some difficulties while working over there. But I hope that I will be able to cope with the situation and manage it very well."
When asked about the reason for seeking for a job abroad, he said: "I know that I can get a job in India. But the expenses are also high here. Therefore, if I work in India, I will not be able to save much. Moreover, I have to work here on daily wages and all the money earned will be spent on the same day.
"If I go to Qatar , I need not spend much as I will be staying alone. The employer will provide accommodation and transport. I will be able to save a good portion of my salary which can be used to provide a better living standard to my family, including better education to the children. I think Qatar is a very rich country and I will get a better salary than what I get in India."
Shibukumar, who came to Mumbai looking for a Gulf job has a different story to tell. He said: "I came here a few years ago in the hope of going to the Gulf. I had given my documents and some money to an agent in Mumbai. But after some weeks, the agent vanished from the scene without even returning some of my documents and the money. I, thereafter, dropped the plan and started working in the city." At present he is working as a driver in the city drawing a monthly salary of INR 10,000.
Manish Sinha from Bihar who works in a small store in New Delhi said that he came to the capital of the country in the hope of going to one of the Gulf countries for employment.
He explained: "When I reached here, I could not get any job in the Gulf. Then I started working in a house in Delhi and moved to the present job later. Recently, one of my friends told me that in some places such as Kerala in South India, people are paid INR 500 or more per day. If I want to go to the Gulf, I need to spend a lot of money. But going to Kerala is easy and I think I can make more than what I am earning now. Next month, I am going to a place called Thrissur in Kerala."
A top official of Doha-based Al Balagh Construction Company said that Qatar has excellent rules and regulations but some people misuse the loopholes in the laws and make the lives of workers difficult.
He explained: "In the construction sector, there are so many manpower companies who are supplying people. Some of them are the problem makers. They exploit some of the loopholes in the laws to exploit their workers."
He continued : "In fact, we do not need any manpower agencies in the construction field. Our company does not depend on any manpower agency. We are always on the target with our own staff and complete the works as planned. We are sure that our staff are happy and we provide them with good facilities. I am sure that construction companies can manage their work without the help of manpower companies if they treat their staff well."
A cross section of workers, who are employed in different sectors in Qatar, was of the general view that they were mostly content with their wages and perks. "We are paid what we have been promised. There also has been some increments over the years," a group of employees working for a hospitality company said. Some of them said they have concerns about certain provisions of the sponsorship system. "People should be allowed to change sponsors without much hassle. Also there has to be more diligence on the part of the authorities to implement legal benefits like overtime pay, vacation salary and end of service benefits," they said. "The cost of living in Qatar has gone up considerably and what increments we have got have been eaten up by the inflation," staff of a trading company said.
Ashwin VP, an Indian electrician with a contracting firm said the situation has improved vastly during the past five years he had been in Qatar. "The accommodation has become better, salaries are paid on time and employers are showing more willingness to listen to the genuine grievances of workers, " he said adding that foreign workers in the country have been eagerly looking towards the promised amendments in the labour law, which is expected to be announced any time now.
His colleague said previously the company's staff were accommodated in an old villa in the city but they have been moved to a purpose-built camp in the Industrial Area. "It is far away from our site but the living conditions are better. Also the area has all facilities for single workers."
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.