Fifteen Years of Proletarian Existence in Delhi and Gurgaon / 5 Minutes Chat with Worker on a Street in Udyog Vihar

Submitted by Django on August 10, 2010

In 1995 I worked at Mohan Industries assembling Stereo Decks, they paid 700 Rs that time. When I left the job in 2003 the wages had gone up to 2,100 Rs. I then went to Rajpura in Punjab, I worked in a sweets factory, earning 5,000 Rs. After a year I was sent to the company offices in the World Trade Centre near Connaught Place in Delhi. They trade with coconut products, milk, and jam. Wages were the same, but finally the company closed down in 2005. I then went to Gurgaon, to Udyog Vihar. Here I worked in 15 factories within a three year period: Isa Collection, Modelama, Nitin Clothing, Orient Clothing and so on… I ended up doing checker-work in the quality department. Officially they call it an 8-hours shift, but 12-hours are the norm and 15 hours are not unusual. There is a lot of misbehaviour in all places. I opened a fruit-and-veg-shop in Bijwasan in December 2009. Because they build a fly-over there the road was closed on 23rd of February 2010 – the shop was finished and done with. Now I am on the street myself. I am looking for work again in Udyog Vihar.

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