TS 7th Class Social Study Material 19th Lesson Livelihood and Struggles of Urban Workers

TS Board Telangana SCERT Class 7 Social Solutions 19th Lesson Livelihood and Struggles of Urban Workers Textbook Questions and Answers.

TS 7th Class Social 19th Lesson Questions and Answers – Livelihood and Struggles of Urban Workers

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Question 1.
Compare the condition of a worker in a brick kiln, a permanent worker and a contract worker in a factory.
Answer:

A permanent worker	A contract worker	A brick kiln worker
1) Enjoys a good salary and job security.	1) A very little wage and employed irregularly.	1) Very low wage, even less than the minimum wage fixed by the government. No job security.
2) Provident funds,  Insurance facilities and health facilities are provided.	2) PF, health facilities  and Insurance facilities  are not provided	2) No place for such facilities.
3) Trade unions are formed to fight for rights.	3) Unions fight for regularization.	3) No scope for such rights or unions.

Question 2.
Can you make a list of jobs done by casual and self-employed workers in your area?
Answer:
Students are advised to collect information in their locality or neighbouring area regarding the details.
For Eg: Casual workers:

1. Construction work
2. Agricultural labour
3. Carpenter etc.

For Eg: lf employed workers:

1. Bamboo making
2. Pot making
3. Paper/wood toys
4. Selling fruits/Vegetables / Groundnuts/flowers etc., on push carts.

Question 3.
Make a list of the different types of unions discussed in this chapter. Fill in the table.
Fibrotex (not its real name). a large-scale factory producing fibre glass began working in 1976. This factory is a Trade Union. initially, it was set up with the encouragement of the company which wanted a union which will be more agreeable to its policies. Soon the Union developed into a strong workers’ organisation as workers participated in the union actively. It negotiated with the management to fix wages etc.

a) Company in which trade union was present.
b) Type of labour
c) Main problems
Answer:

Company in which trade union was working	Type of labour	Main problems	Suggested solutions
1) Fibrotex factory (570 workers)	1) Permanent workers 2) Badli workers 3) Contract/casual workers	Facing problem of salaries. They want some improvement in their salaries.	1) The trade unions have to fight for the better salaries to the permanent workers. 2) The company has to pay the wages as per government fixed wages and provide the benefits like provident fund and health insurance.
2) KRS Medicines	Permanent workers and Casual workers.	Only 14 regular workers. Pay is about 1500 to 2500 very little for a month.	1) The company has to provide total benefits which are given to the workers in other companies. 2) The company has to follow the Govt. fixed wages.
3) Excel Labour Union	Labourers	ENT and Lung diseases due to garbage collection	Medical Assistance to be provided.

Question 4.
Talk to a Trade Union member (leader) and find out why did heishe join the union, what their rights and duties as a union member.
Answer:
Students Activity:

1. She has joined the trade union to are the workers.
2. It is her responsibility to look into the service matters of the workers.
3. She has to see that the workers, who met with the accident, are rightly compensated.
4. She has to check that the salaries of the workers are as per norms or not.

Question 5.
She has to see that no employer removes any labourer without proper reason or security.

Answer:
1. In the above figure. the children are as construction labour.
2. According to the factories act, children are prohibited to work as labourers.
3. According to Right to Education Act, all the children between 06-14 are supposed to be in schools.
4. Hence the employer who put him on labour are supposed to be punished as per factory act and RTE Act.

Answer:
1. In the above figure, the person is sharpening the knife, He is a informal labourer.
2. He does not have any protection for his job.
3. He does not enjoy any leisure and rest
4. He does not have any’ job security or income security.
5. There are no trade unions to fight for his rights.
6. His income may not be enough to meet all his needs.

Intext Questions

Text Book Page No. 174

Question 1.
What is the difference between a permanent worker and a badil worker? (Conceptual understanding)
Answer:

1. Permanent workers are regular workers in a registered factory. They can enjoy all the seven kinds of securities guaranteed by law.
2. Badli workers are employed on casual basis. They are employed daily on contractual basis. These people get very low wages compared with permanent workers and enjoy no securities from the government.

Question 2.
Calculate the difference between the monthly salary of a permanent worker and casual labourer. (Conceptual understanding)
Answer:
Permanent worker’s minimum salary =₹ 4500
Casual workers 20 days wage 20 x 58 = ₹ 1160
Difference = ₹ 3340

Question 3.
invite one or two factory workers who are getting ESI and PF benefits to class and collect more details about how these facilities are made available to them and the steps a worker has to follow to get these benefits. You may also invite a parent of your class also to talk about these things. (information skills)
Answer:
Students are advised to meet one or two workers of a registered factory and who are permanent workers, They will give the information regarding the benefits being enjoyed by them and also how to get these benefits. If any parent is working in any registered factory as permanent worker also approach him for details.

4. KRS Medicines Factory
This corn pany (not a real name) mixes and packs medicines for another big medicine company. It employed about 118 workers of whom about 104 workers were employed as daily casual workers. That is only 14 workers were regular and permanent and were used for the skilled work of mixing the chemicals to prepare the medicine powder. They were paid about ₹1500 to ₹2500 per month and had a security of employment.

They also got ESI and PF. The remaining 104 workers who were engaged on a daily basis mainly did the packaging and labelling of the medicine, About 56 of them were women. These daily workers were engaged by a labour contractor who was told every day by the manager how many workers to engage. These workers mainly came from nearby villages and were usually illiterate, The women workers had to work for about 22 hours a day and were paid just ₹30 and the men were paid for about ₹42 the same hours of work. This is much below the minimum wage fixed by the government fir this kind of factories. The managers do not allow the workers to form any Trade Union arid threaten that they will close down the factory if any union is formed.

(Reading the text (given), understanding and interpretation)

Question 4.
Why was no Trade Union allowed to form in KRS Medicine Factory?
Answer:
Workers are not allowed to form a trade union because,
1. Trade union ensures the implementation of all the labour laws.
2. It ensures proper wages.
3. It provides decent working conditions.
4. It facilitates social security measures like medical facilities, housing, provident fund and pension.
5. All these are expensive measures and reduces the profits of the company Hence they are not allowed to form a trade union.

Question 5.
Why do you think there were more women in the ‘contract worker’ category rather than in the category of ‘permanent workers’?
Answer:

1. The women workers will get ₹ 30 per day for 12 hours work which is very cheap.
2. Whereas permanent workers work for less hours a day and will get ₹ 1500 to ₹ 2500 per month. Hence factories are engaging more and more women workers.

Question 6.
Is it fair to pay women workers less than men for the same kind of work?
Answer:
It is neither correct nor justifiable. Women workers should also be paid on par with men workers because they are performing same work as done by male workers.

Question 7.
Do you think it would have been different if the workers had been educated and literate?
Answer:

1. Yes. Educated and enlightened workers will know and fight for their rights.
2. They will forni or associate themselves with one or other trade union.
3. They will raise collective voice if they are educated.

Text Book Page No. 176
Based on the information given in P.No. 183, 184. (Bindhani …… thousand rupees)

Question 8.
Can you calculate how many days it will take them to dear the advance of ₹.10,000 they got from the Sardar (Contractor)? (Reading the text (given), understanding and interpretation)
Answer:
They are preparing 1000 bricks per day for which they are paid ₹ 108. So to clear
the advance of ₹ 10,000.
\(\frac{10,000}{108}\) = 92.52
It will take 93 days to clear the advance of ₹. 10,000/-.

Question 9.
What is the average daily wage for one person per day in this work?
Answer:
Two persons are getting ₹ 108 per day hence one persons daily wage is = 54
\(\frac{108}{2} \) = 54
i.e. one person’s daily wage is ₹ 54. (Bindhani’s daughter is not taken into account).

Question 10.
Why there are no Trade Unions in brick kilns? (Reflection on contemporary issues and questioning.)
Answer:

1. Most of the people working in brick kiln are from different places, different languages.
2. They are migrant workers and cannot stay permanently at the work place.
3. They are scattered at different work sites and most of them are taken advances from the contractors.
4. Any attempt by these workers to form a Union or Association will lock their work. Hence brick kiln workers are unable to form Trade Unions.

Question 11.
Do you think government should help workers to form Trade Union among brick kiln workers? (Appreciation and Sensitivity)
Answer:
Yes, as the people are voiceless and most unorganised, they will be brightened to speak to the owners of brick kilns if trade unions are formed. Hence government has to take initiative to form trade unions in brick kilns.

Question 12.
In what way can the government help brick kiln workers to improve their working conditions? (Appreciation and Sensitivity)
Answer:

1. Government can extend Labour Laws to brick kilns.
2. Government can direct Labour officers and others to be vigilant in implementing labour laws.
3. If the government extends financial help to these people, they will go for alternative employment.

Text Book Page No. 177

Question 13.
What kind of machines and tools and sources of power are used in brick production? (Conceptual understanding)
Answer:

1. No machines and tools of any kind are used in the production of bricks.
2. No power is also used
3. Only manpower is used to mix the clay, shape the clay into bricks by using moulds.
4. Only for transporting the bricks, bullock carts or tractors are used.

Question 14.
What kind of skills are needed for this job (brickmaking)? How are they acquired? (Conceptual understanding)
Answer:

1. Very simple skills like fetching water, mixing sand and clay, putting seal of the company and loading on bullock cart are required.
2. The skills are acquired by observation and practice.

Question 15.
Why do you think they are made to work in distant states? (Reflection on contemporary issues and questioning)
Answer:

1. People have no employment at home or village for which they are accustomed.
2. They are forced to go to distant places in search of work.

Text Book Page No. 177

Question 16.
Which of the seven rights are available to brick kiln workers like Bindhani?
Answer:
Brick kiln workers like Bindhani have neither security nor any rights of workers.

Question 17.
Read the previous sections again and mark the whole box against rights and benefits available to workers. If only a part of workers are covered, mark half part of the box depending on the proportion of coverage. Cross-mark the box if no right benefit is available. (Reading the text (given), understanding and interpretation)

Answer:
In KRS Medicine factory only 14 workers were regular and they are enjoying all the seven rights. The remaining 104 workers are employed as daily casual workers. Hence they are not enjoying any rights. Brick kiln workers are almost bonded labourers and are not covered by any securities.

Additional Questions

Question 1.
What is a trade union?
Answer:

1. It is an organisation formed by workers for protecting their interests.
2. It will negotiate with employers and government in protecting the rights of the workers.

Question 2.
What are the functions of a trade union?
Answer:

1. It ensures proper wages.
2. Provides decent working conditions
3. Sets up social security measures like medical facilities, housing, provident fund and pension.

Question 3.
What are the methods adopted by trade unions to ensure benefits?
Answer:

1. Unions adopt negotiations.
2. File cases in the law courts.
3. May go on strikes.
4. Stop works.

Question 4.
Can you name one or two trade unions?
Answer:

1. All India Trade Union Congress.
2. Indian National Trade Union Congress.
3. Hind Mazdoor Sabha.
4. Centre of Indian Trade Unions. These are some of the names of trade unions.

Question 5.
Which of the seven kinds of securities are available to the permanent workers of the factory? Give examples.
Answer:
Permanent employees can enjoy all the seven securities.

1. Right to productive and safe employment. Eg: Safety wear in the workplace.
2. Right to leisure and rest. Eg: Fixed hours of work, leave in case of sick etc., leave travel allowance.
3. Right to employment security. Eg: Nobody can be terminated without proper reasons.
4. Income security. Eg: Fixed wages through agreements.
5. Work security. Eg: Medical facilities through employees’ social insurance, health check, safe drinking water etc.,
6. Skill improvement. Eg: Training workers, sending them to foreign countries to improve the quality of goods.
7. Collective voice Eg: Trade unions establish their collective voice. They negotiate with the management to be wages, medical facilities and to regularise contract labourers after a definite period of work.

Question 6.
What are made to protect the welfare of the workers?
Answer:
Laws are made to protect the welfare of the workers.

Question 7.
Which department looks into the enactment of laws?
Answer:
Labour department looks into the enactment of laws.

Question 8.
What is “Fibrotex”?
Answer:
“Fibrotex” is a large-scale factory producing fibre glass, began working in 1976.

Question 9.
Who are informal workers?
Answer:
All the workers whose activities are not registered with the government are called informal worker.
Eg: Vegetable vendors, work maids etc

Question 10.
Expand “ESI and “PP.
Answer:

1. ESI – Employees’ State Insurance.
2. PF. – Provident Fund.

Question 11.
Expand “TLA” and “SEWA”.
Answer:

1. TLA. – Textile Labour Association.
2. SEWA – Self-Employed Women’s Association.

Question 12.
How many members are there in “SEWA”.
Answer:
About 13 lakh workers in 9 states in India are now members of SEWA.

Reading the text (given), understanding and Interpretation

Read the para on Trade Union and comment on It:
Trade Union
A Trade Union is an organisation formed by workers to protect their interests. If every single worker has to negotiate with the employer separately. they will not be in a strong position. However, if all of them together negotiate. their position will become much more stronger. Trade Unions negotiate on behalf of all workers with government and the employers. They seek to ensure proper wages, other benefits and decent working conditions for their members.

Collectively with their member workers, they secure social security benefits, medical facilities, houses, Provident Fund and pension. If any worker is harassed or is in need of help, the Trade Union takes up his or her cause. Unions adopt a variety of measures like negotiations, filing cases in the law courts and even strikes or stoppage of work to pressurise the employers.
Question.
What is a trade union?
Answer:
A trade union is an organization formed by workers to protect their interests.

1. Trade unions negotiate on behalf of all workers with government and employers.
2. They seek to ensure proper wages. other benefits and decent working conditions for their members.
3. Collectively with their members, they secure social security benefits etc.
4. If any worker is harassed, the trade union takes up his or her cause. Unions adopt a variety of measures like negotiations, filing cases in the law courts and even strikes or stoppage of work to pressure the employers.

Information skills

Question 1.
Talk to a trade union member or leader or invite him to the classroom and find out his! her life history. Specifically, find out, why did heíshe Join the union. What are their rights as a member? What are their duties as a union member? (Information skills)
Answer:
We invited Rahman, a member of I.T.C of Bhadradialam.

1. Rahman was born in 1970 in Khamman. He completed ‘fitter’ course in ITI. He joined the paper mill as a daily wage labour. Slowly, appreciating his hard work, the paper mill management appointed him as a permanent worker.
2. In the beginning, Rahman didn’t join any Union. Once he got high fever and couldn’t go to factory for more than 30 days. The management sent notices to remove him from the job. Rahman informed his friend Jacob about the notice.

Jacob is the secretary of the paper mill union. He brought the matter to the notice of the Union. The Union President, Secretary – Jacob and other members met the management and requested not to remove Rahman telling about his sickness. The management responded positively. Rahman understood the strength of the Union and took membership by paving 50/- as membership fees. As a member, Rahman has some rights.
a. He can participate in the meetings of the union and discuss the problems with the management.
b. He can give some suggestions to strengthen the union.
c. He can contest in the elections of the union and hold a post.

Duties:
a. He has to obey the rules of the union.
b. He shall not act damaging the interests of other members.
c. He has to take to the notice of the union any problems he faces with the management.

Question 2.
Interview a domestic worker or a casual worker in your area and find out about their work, earnings, and lo what extent the seven rights are available to them. (Information skills)
Answer:
I interviewed Bhanu, a domestic worker working in a house. She has to attend early in the morning around 5 AM a contractor’s house. First, she has to water the outside portion in front of the house after sweeping it. Then, she has to clean entire 8 rooms of the house 1st floor and 2nd floor. After that, she has to clean the vessels, dishes used the previous day night. Around 10 AM, she is offered a cup of tea.

Occasionally she may be given breakfast if excess is cooked. She goes home around 12 PM to 3 PM. She has to attend work again in the evening around 4 PM and goes home after all the members of the house eat their dinner. She has to work more than 12 hours. Sometimes she has to clean the web nets every day for all this she is paid Rs 750/- per month. It she does not attend for any two or three days due to any reason. Salary is deducted. The seven rights are not available to her.

3. In 1971, a small group of migrant women cart-pullers in Ahmedahad’s cloth market approached Textile Labour Association (TLA) to help them in improving their housing facilities. TLA was an oldest and largest textile workers’ union with which Mahatma Gandhi was closely associated, The Union helped these women
to form SEWA in 1971 which later became a Trade Union in 1972.

Since then SEWA grew continuously, with women working in different occupations becoming its members. SEWA members have no fixed employee-employer relationship and depend on their own labour for survival. They barely have any assets or working capital. Any self-employed woman can become a member of SEWA by paying Rs. 5 as membership fee. The SEWA helps self-employed women in addressing their grievances, improving their work culture and to become financially self-reliant in running their businesses.

Read the above passage and answer the following questions:
1. What was the oldest textile workers union?
Answer:
The oldest textile workers union was Textile Labour Association,

2. When was SEWA” formed?
Answer:
SEWA’ was formed in 1971.

3. When did SFWA” become a trade union?
Answer:
‘SEWA” became a trade union in 1972.

4. Who can become a ‘SEWA” member?
Answer:
Women working in different occupations can become its members.

5. What is the membership fee of ‘SEWA?
Answer:
The membership fee of SEWA is only Rs. 5/-.

Reflection on contemporary issues and questioning

Write a short note on the differences in rural and urban context of employment
conditions.
Answer:
Following are the differences in rural and urban context of employment conditions.

URBAN	RURAL
1. More employment opportunities.	1. Least employment opportunities.
2. Diversified employment conditions.	2. Little diversification, agriculture is the main source.
3. Diversified skills and training.	3. No training, only traditional and conventional skills.
4. Enjoy more salaries and better working conditions.	4. Very little daily wages and little salaries. Bad working conditions.
5. Organised labour and trade unions.	5. Unorganised and no trade unions.
6. Unions will ensure all legal rights.	6. No unions No legal rights.

 

Appreciation and Sensitivity

Question 8.
There are fake photograph% in this chapter. But one of them may not be that of a labourer. Can you identify this photograph and explain why?

Answer:
Knife sharpeners do not come under labourer because they belong to self employment category.

Work Book

Question 1.
How many kinds of securities are available to the permanent workers? ( )
A) Five
B) Seven
C) Two
D) Three
Answer:
A) Five

Question 2.
Largest trade union of the informal workers in the world is in ( )
A) Maharastra
B) Tamil Nadu
C) Gujarat
D) Kerala
Answer:
B) Tamil Nadu

Question 3.
Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) became a trade union in the year ( )
A) 1970
B) 1971
C) 1969
D) 1972
Answer:
D) 1972

Question 4.
Among the following which is not a social security benefit. ( )
A) Medical facilities
B) Salaries
C) Provident fund
D) Pension
Answer:
C) Provident fund

Question 5.
Which department will safeguard the laws of labour? ( )
A) Home Department
B) Defence Department
C) Education Department
D) Labour Department
Answer:
D) Labour Department

Question 6.
The workers who enjoy rights and securities are called ( )
A) Badli workers
B) Casual labour
C) Contract labour
D) Regular workers
Answer:
D) Regular workers

Question 7.
The workers who do not have any securities and rights are ( )
A) Badil workers
B) Casual labour
C) Contract labour
D) All the above
Answer:
D) All the above

Question 8.
The workers who replace permanent workers in case of their absence are called ( )
A) Casual labour
B) Badil workers
C) Regular workers
D) Contract workers
Answer:
B) Badil workers

Question 9.
Most of the benefits are available to the ………………… workers. ( )
A) Badil workers
B) Casual labour
C) Permanent workers
D) Contract workers
Answer:
C) Permanent workers

Question 10.
Which of the following does not belong to informal sector? ( )
A) selling vegetables
B) working in tea stalls
C) making bidis
D) working as regular Labour in factories
Answer:
D) working as regular Labour in factories

Question 11.
The sector, in which workers are not registered as employees, there is no agreement no protection of law or rules and regulations, is called ……………… sector. ( )
A) Formal
B) Organised
C) Small scale
D) Informal
Answer:
D) Informal

Question 12.
Which of the following may be called as ‘bonded labourers? ( )
A) Workers who work in brick kilns
B) Contract labourers in a factory
C) Permanent workers in a factory
D) Casual labour in factories
Answer:
A) Workers who work in brick kilns