P lywood and Laminates industry located in North India such as in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are witnessing return of workforce in large numbers. According to field reports, up to 70 percent of migrant labours have been able to return to work in these industrial state and towns. Since there has been, no railway services since over a month, the migrant labourers are returning with self-arranged transport or facilitated by factories. Industry talk about having sufficient manpower in their units but the demand of finished goods is yet to recover at the level of before Covid period.
Mr. Naresh Tiwari, Chairman, AIPMA said that the work is going on smoothly at plywood factories as with tireless efforts of the factory owners, 80 percent labourers have returned to the units and the operation have reached up to two third. Mr. Vikas Khanna, President, Delhi NCR Plywood Manufacturers Association said that with the efforts of factory owners the labourers are back to work and by September 100% workers will be back.
On the contrary, the plywood manufacturing units located in Kerala are struggling to receive labourers for their units. Mr. MM Mujeeb, President, AKPBMA said, “We have sufficient orders in present time but unable to produce because of tremendous shortage of labours. Actually, the shortage of labour has become bigger due to state government’s 14 days compulsory quarantine policy for other state visitors to fight against Covid’ said Mr Mujeeb.
The Plywood and laminates manufacturing facility located in Gujarat also has been struggling due to shortage of labour. According to reports from Mumbai, Gujrat and Gandhidham region, only half of the needed workers are present. Due to limited access of public transport such a railway and buses and restrictions on movement, arrangement of return of workforce is upon unit owners and this slowing down the recovery. Reports indicate that once the public transport services begins there will be normalcy at manufacturing.