Urban Livelihood Chapter Notes | Civics Class 6 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

• The first category of workers are the self-employed workers like street vendors, hawkers, shop owners, and showroom and agency owners.
• The second category of workers includes casual or daily-wage workers like the workers of a factory, painters, etc.
• The third category of workers is the permanent workers like bankers, engineers and teachers.
• Lastly, there are professionals who may be working for someone or be self-employed.

Vendors

• The Street Vendors Act, passed on February 19, 2014, protects urban street vendors' rights.
• It prevents harassment by police and civic authorities.
• The National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) supported this law.
• At least 2.5% of a city's population can get vending certificates.
• Town and zonal vending authorities are formed in each city.
• These authorities include 40% vendor representatives, 10% NGOs, and the rest are planners, administrators, police, and elected officials.
• Authorities identify natural markets, vending zones, and create street vending plans.
• They conduct surveys to understand street vendor needs.

Self-employed Workers

• There are a number of people who are not employed by anyone. They are self-employed.
• They have their own businesses, shops or stalls.
• They do not have any fixed income.
• If their work flourishes, they may be able to earn well.
• However, if their work does not flourish, they may not even be able to make ends meet.
• People who sell things on the streets or roads in cities are referred to as hawkers or vendors. They have to organize their work and plan how and where to set up their stalls. 
• People who sell food items mostly prepare food at home and then sell it on the streets. Their stalls are generally temporary structures. 
• They may be carts, plastic sheets spread on the pavement or makeshift shops with plastic sheets and poles. 
• The police can drive these people away if they put up their stalls in unauthorized areas. Hence, they have no security. 
• They usually depend on their daily sale for their bread and butter. 
• Some street vendors may cause inconvenience to people as they obstruct traffic, block pavements and get in the way of the pedestrians. 
•  When the police drives them away from one place, they simply move to another one. 
• There are almost one crore vendors and hawkers in our country.
• The government has realized that it cannot ban the livelihood of so many people.
• Thus, it has passed the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014, according to which it will allot certain areas to the hawkers which would be identified as vending zones.

Case Study: Hawkers or Vendors

• Puravi's mother had to go to the local market near her house to buy vegetables and fruits. She asked Puravi to accompany her. The market was chaotic and noisy. 
• There were two vegetable vendors who were trying to lure people to come to them and buy vegetables from their stall. There were three fruit sellers who sold different kinds of fruits. 
• There was a small snack shop which sold different types of chips, biscuits and tea. Some people were standing there buying things to eat. 
• Then there was a woman with a cart selling items like hair clips, combs, pencil boxes, whistles, soap boxes, etc. 
• There was also a cobbler sitting under a tree repairing a woman's sandal. 
• Puravi and her mother went to their regular vegetable vendor, Ramu. Puravi asked Ramu about his work. He told her that every morning he wakes up and goes to the local wholesale market called mandi to buy fresh vegetables. 
• Then, he comes to this market and sells vegetables. He earns just about enough for a day's meal for himself and his family. Very little is left for him to save. 

Business Owners

•  Many people have shops or businesses of their own in market places. 
•  They may be big or small. 
•  They sell different things like garments and electronic items. 
•  Such shops are permanent shops. 
•  They are given a license to do business by the Municipal Corporation. 
•  The corporation fixes one day of the week on which all the shops of the market remain closed. 
•  These markets also provide various other services to cater to the diverse needs of the people. 
•  Apart from markets, nowadays a lot of malls and shopping complexes have also opened in different parts of the country. 
•  Malls are usually multi-storeyed buildings which have a number of shops under one roof. 
•  Many people own shops in malls and shopping complexes also. 

Casual Workers

• Like Shabnam, some people work for another person or an organization and earn wages on a daily basis. As their employment is not permanent, i.e., they are required to come and work when the employer needs them, they are known as casual workers or daily-wage workers.
• Factory workers, painters, masons and carpenters are some casual workers.
• Casual workers are called for work during particular seasons or when there are big orders. The rest of the time, they have to find other employment.
• Since their jobs are not permanent, they have no job security. If they fall sick, they lose their earnings.
• If they complain about the working conditions or their salary, they are asked to leave.
• Often they have to work for very long hours for meagre income.

Case Study: Daily-Wage Workers

• Puravi's mother wanted to get some intricate embroidery done on a sari of hers. They went to find Shabnam who worked in a factory. 
•  On reaching the factory, they saw that it was full of small workshops. They looked around for Shabnam and finally found her busily working on some garments in one end of the room. Shabnam was very happy to see them. 
•  While Puravi's mother was searching for a pattern for embroidery, Puravi started talking to Shabnam. She told Puravi that they made clothes that were exported to foreign countries. 
•  She worked long hours for 6 days a week. She got ₹ 80 per day for eight hours and ₹ 40 for working extra hours. 
•  Sometimes she had to work on Sundays as well, especially during the wedding and festive season. 

Domestic Workers

• Domestic workers do household tasks like cleaning or washing for pay.
• They may work full-time for one employer or part-time for multiple employers.
• They are paid monthly but have no job security and can be dismissed anytime.
• Extra leaves may lead to salary deductions.

Permanent Workers

• Puravis aunt had a permanent job.
• Unlike casual workers, people who have permanent jobs cannot be asked to leave if their company has less or no work to do.
• They receive a regular income every month.
• They also enjoy various facilities like educational funds, provident fund and medical insurance from the company.
• Some companies also give house rent and travel allowance.
• Most of them receive medical facilities which provides for the medical expenses of their family.
• They can take medical leave if they fall sick and their salary is not deducted in such a situation.
• They get holidays on Sundays and national days.
• They even get some additional annual leaves.

Case Study: Permanent Workers

• One day, Puravi went with her mother to visit her aunt Sneha who was unwell.
• Sneha had taken a sick leave from her work that day. She works in a government bank as a branch manager.
• Puravi asked Sneha about her work.
• Sneha told her that she had written and cleared the bank entrance exams after college.
• At first, she had worked as a clerk.
• Slowly, she had risen to the position of a branch manager.
• She received a regular income, had a permanent job, and enjoyed certain benefits such as:
  • fixed working hours
  • medical facilities
  • holidays on Sundays and national days
  • sick leaves
  • insurance

Professionals

• Professionals are people who do work that requires special education, training and skill. 
• Lawyers, doctors, make-up artists and tutors are examples of professionals. 
• They may work for certain organizations or be self-employed. 
• As self-employed professionals, they usually work for more than one client at a time. 
• Their timings and offices keep changing according to their work. 
• Self-employed professionals have no job security since they get work only if there is need. 

Migration

• Migration refers to the movement of a large number of people from one place to another.
• Generally, people from rural areas migrate to urban areas.
• There are a number of reasons for migration, but the most common one is to move in search of work.
• People from rural areas migrate with the hope that there will be better employment opportunities as well as better standards of living in urban areas.
• However, people who migrate to cities face many problems like housing and sanitation.
• This large scale migration of people to towns and cities causes overcrowding resulting in lack of accommodation, water, electricity and sanitation facilities.
• As more and more people migrate to cities, slums develop.
• People in the slums take up open spaces and illegally use water and electricity meant for the city dwellers.
• Slum dwellers live in unhygienic conditions causing pollution and congestion.