Lockdown: Taking Huge Toll On Employment In The Jewellery Sector

It is unpredictable when the lockdown will be lifted and when the jewellery industry workforce will return to work again as lakhs of workers depending on gem and jewellery sector pan India have been shattered and left to their hometowns due to loss of jobs for reason being temporary shutdown of units and shops due to Covid-19 pandemic, therefore creating a huge toll on employment in the jewellery sector. Meanwhile the industry is extending its support towards workers with food and monetory benefits but till how long will it continue is a questions. On this note, this special report will describe on how lockdown is taking huge toll on the employment in the jewellery sector and also the experts suggestions on retaining the workforce.

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Workforce returning home town

Gem and jewellery sector employes more than 65 lakh workers as per the official estimate of government. “However, we feel that nearly 1.15 crore worker are deployed with gems and jewellery sector. There is additional supporting staff which will be another 60 lakhs,” says Surendra Mehta, National Secretary, IBJA.

Giving reasons on how lockdown is taking huge toll on emplyment he says, “Due to outbreak of pandemics, this sector is suffering most due to its luxurious in nature. Most of labourers are from West Bengal and have already migrated due to fear of covid from jewellery cities like Mumbai and Gujarat to their hometown due to fear which has actually resulted in loss of employment.”

Further he predicts that due to slow demand, during and after lockdown many will not return to congested cities like Mumbai due to social distancing requirement. Even the employers would remove their workforce as the jewellery business outlook for the next one year is no longer promising post covid-19. This will also take big hit in GDP. In our opinion, loss of employment in respect of labourers and other supporting staff could be to the tune of atleast 80 lakhs.

There are about 50 lakh artisans from rural Bengal from district like West Midnapore, East Midnapore, Hooghly, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Burdwan, Nadia and other and approximately 25 lakhs jewellery artisans who belong to Bengal working in different cities like Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai were stranded in these cities without food, money and proper hygienic facilities who were craving to return to their hometowns, informs SS Alam, Managing Director, Aurum Jewels Ltd.