Covid health insurance to lure migrant workers

MYSURU: With the economy sputtering back to life, some industries in Mysuru are willing to do whatever it takes to bring the migrant workers back. Their offer includes the Covid-19 health insurance, apart from better facilities, perks and pay. The workers were earlier denied even ESI coverage despite laws for it. Industries which are receiving orders are struggling to find suitable workers since they used to employ largely migrant labourers. The migrants have left the city for their home towns by their own means during the pandemic outbreak and the lockdown that followed.

Industry owners say that migrant labourers are more suitable for their work. Raghu, who owns a utensils factory in Mysuru, said that he was struggling without the workers. His previous employees who hail mostly from Odisha and Bihar told him that their families were not agreeing to their return unless he provided them with Covid-19 health insurance coverage, Raghu said.He booked a flight to ferry back 27 employees from Odisha and Bihar. And even before they started on their journey, their health insurance was taken.

“My factory had over 80 employees earlier; with the workers gone, I was struggling. We have loans to pay. As the workers’ families were worried about Covid-19, I had to take an insurance cover for Rs 2 lakh for them and also promise them to give care at private hospitals. Even my family does not have Covid-19 insurance,” he said.

Another industry owner, Hari, said that he also brought five workers from poll-bound Bihar on a flight. “We tried to manage with local workers but they were not cooperative. So we had to bring the migrant workers and offer health insurance and better facilities,” he said. Thankfully for him, they already had group insurance running. But the premium shot up from Rs 28k to Rs 40k, including the Covid cover.

Harinarayan, who has an industry in Hebbal industrial area of Mysuru, also got the Covid-19 health insurance for workers.

Source: The New Indian Express