Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) April 16: A temporary but sharp exodus of migrant workers to West Bengal and Assam for the ongoing Assembly elections has triggered a labour shortage across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, pushing up wages for construction and domestic work, delaying projects and leaving many households struggling to find help, labour contractors told The Wave Andaman.
The islands are heavily dependent on migrant labour, especially Bengali-speaking workers from neighbouring West Bengal and workers from Assam and other parts of the Northeast, for a substantial part of construction activity as well as household work. Contractors said this dependence becomes especially visible whenever workers leave the islands in large numbers, whether for festivals, family events or elections.
This time, they said, the disruption has been particularly severe because many workers booked their tickets to the mainland well in advance to avoid the last-minute rush and the steep rise in fares closer to polling dates. As a result, many workers have already left the islands even though voting in some constituencies is still days away, as changing travel plans now would have meant paying significantly higher fares or risking not getting seats at all.
According to several labour contractors, only around 30 percent of the usual workforce is currently available in the islands. The rest have either already returned or are in the process of returning to their native places to cast their votes. That has created an immediate demand-supply mismatch, particularly in the construction sector, where work depends on the daily availability of helpers, masons, carpenters, painters, bar-benders and other categories of labour.
Contractors said the wage for a helper or other unskilled worker has risen by around Rs 1,100 during the current shortage. Rates for skilled labour, they said, have gone up even more sharply because of the acute scarcity and steady demand. Workers who have chosen to stay back in the islands are now earning significantly more than usual, with some making more than double their normal wages.
Shyamal Mandal, a labour contractor in Andaman, said he plans to stay on in the islands for most of the month and travel to West Bengal only at the end to cast his vote before returning. He said the present shortage has also created an opportunity for workers who chose not to leave early. “This is a good opportunity for those who have stayed back to make additional money,” he said.
Projects hit
The impact is being felt across the construction sector. Contractors said several private projects, home repairs and ongoing government works are being delayed because enough workers are simply not available. In some cases, labour-intensive stages of work have been postponed altogether. In others, work is continuing, but at a slower pace and at a much higher cost.
The shortage is not confined to construction. Families across the islands are also facing difficulties in finding domestic workers such as maids, cleaners and household helpers. Residents are frantically trying to locate workers, contractors said, but very few are available. In homes dependent on regular domestic help, the scarcity has disrupted daily routines and caused considerable inconvenience.
Contractors said the situation is likely to improve only after the final phase of polling in West Bengal on April 29, when workers are expected to begin returning to the islands. Until then, the current disruption has once again exposed how deeply the Andaman and Nicobar Islands depend on migrant labour, with even a temporary outflow enough to send labour costs soaring and slow everyday life.
Editor’s note: SearchAndaman.in, a classified and listings platform in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and a sister concern of The Wave Andaman, hosts listings for labourers and skilled workers. Readers may check the platform for workers who may be available during the current shortage.
