Industries in Pune district, Maharashtra’s auto hub, continue to face labour shortage as they wait for migrant workers to return. There are 7-8 lakh workers in the auto sector and industrialists say that though units have started functioning, there is an acute shortage of labour.

Expected after Diwali

Abhay Bhor, President of the Forum of Small Scale Industries Association (FSIA) in Pimpri Chinchwad, told BusinessLine that about 50-60 per cent migrant workers from other States have not yet returned to work. “We expect that they will return after Diwali as the majority of them might be busy in farming. About 70 per cent industries are working only one shift” he said.

According to FSIA, the majority of migrant workers are from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Odisha.

Local talent shortage

Industrialists in Pune added that the State government’s plan to train local youth and replace migrant workers has not worked.

They said that training infrastructure, lukewarm response by government officials and the government’s apathy have derailed government’s own plan. Motilal Sankla, President of the Chakan Industries Association (CIA) said that almost all industries in Chakan have started operations and migrant workers are slowly but continuously joining back. According to Sankla, more workers will join as trains have started and commuting has become easy because of relaxation in lockdown.