Dignity, Hope & Opportunity For Every Unorganised Worker

As the country was emerging from the pandemic that had placed the world under severe strain, workers continued to face significant hardships. During this period we received considerable support and cooperation from the Government Labour Department. Governments introduced new schemes in response to the suffering of workers in distress; however, there was no effective mechanism to deliver these benefits to their doorsteps. Our organisation made a sincere effort to reach construction workers by visiting households, listening to their difficulties and grievances, and facilitating access to government benefits at their homes.

In the process we identified additional worker communities and learned that the Government had recognised only 11 categories within the unorganised sector, leaving other vulnerable communities out. We conducted regular surveys across the taluks of Belagavi district, advocated for their registration under the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Board, and organised a district convention in Ramdurg urging the Government to establish Boards to strengthen vulnerable groups.

The then Government responded by proposing this in the 2022–23 Budget; however, following a change in Government, further developments came to a standstill. On 05/10/2023, when the Hon'ble Labour Minister visited Belagavi city, our organisational leadership met him and once again presented the proposal and explained its importance.

Through interactions with children of worker communities participating in our legal awareness programmes, and by observing the number of children, women and men with disabilities attending our meetings, we discussed with departmental leadership the need to bring this category under social security. In response, the Government expanded the unorganised-sector categories from 11 to 21 and included unorganised workers with disabilities — effective March 2024.

A significant proportion of persons with disabilities are workers who became partially or fully disabled due to accidents on construction sites — in some cases losing their lives. In 2024–25 alone, we documented more than 10 such cases and made sincere efforts to secure disability pension benefits for them through the Department and the Board.

By partnering in Board programmes we conducted more than 500 outreach camps for construction workers and their dependents, and provided RPL skill certification to 2,400+ workers. We run consistent annual training in tailoring & ready-made garment production and technology-based computer training. In 2025–26we launched "Sannaddha" for Class 10 pre-board coaching and "Tuition with Nutrition" for migrant kiln workers' children — and we are advancing toward specialised MEP training for out-of-school youth seeking skilled vocational careers.