SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE CONDITIONS OF MIGRANT WORKERS IN THE GARMENT INDUSTRY IN ERNAKULAM CITY POST 2018 FLOODS

Internal migration or movement of people within a country has been historically viewed as a coping strategy for earning a livelihood. There is more than enough evidence of both voluntary and forced migration, which may be the result of pull factors like search for better livelihood options and push factors like natural disasters, a failed monsoon and the consequent famine, Poverty and indebtedness are the most important factors that lead to migration. Workers migrating within a country usually move from less developed regions to more developed ones. Kerala has been one of the most promising destinations for migrants from north and north-east India mainly due to the higher earning potential and lesser harassment by the authorities. The devastating floods of August 2018 led to the complete disruption in the lives of these migrant workers. The present paper is an attempt to look into the conditions of the migrant workers in the garment industry in Ernakulam city after the floods. The resettlement and rehabilitation efforts of the Government post flood scenario and the new schemes that would help them to cope with any future calamities have also been examined in detail.