Construction Workers – An Untold Struggle
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Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, is growing its infrastructure at a fast pace with mega projects such as the Bengaluru Metro. Behind this metropolitan expansion lies an enormous army of migrant construction workers who experience several problems, but one outstanding problem is language barriers that impact their safety, productivity, and health.
Bengaluru is a cosmopolitan city with various languages mixed together. The construction workers in Bengaluru are predominantly from states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and others, and they speak Hindi, Bhojpuri, Odia, and others. This language diversity results in a complicated communication scenario on construction sites, where directions and safety procedures are usually communicated in Kannada or English, both of which several migrant workers might not be familiar with.
Language differences highly enhance the prospect of accidents on a construction site. Misinterpretation of safety guidelines, warnings, or operation protocols for equipment can result in severe injury or death. Research, as presented in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, demonstrates that foreign-born laborers tend to receive work-related injuries more often because of communication errors.
In Bengaluru, where most migrant workers possess limited Kannada or English skills, the threat is heightened. Language differences also delay work progress. Construction managers usually allocate tasks and give orders, but when employees find it hard to comprehend, work takes longer to finish, leading to delays and inefficiencies. Employees tend to depend on rough translations by bilingual staff members, which are not necessarily accurate or up-to-date. This can result in mistakes, rework, and delayed deadlines, impacting overall project timelines and budgets.
These migrant workers are usually lodged in cramped quarters and socially isolated in a city where they cannot easily speak with peers or supervisors. This isolation is exacerbated by the psychological burden of being away from their families, perhaps for months or years.
Language barriers also prevent them from getting assistance or support, putting them at greater risk of exploitation, wage theft, and dangerous work conditions. Migrant workers employed in Bengaluru’s construction industry typically hail from disadvantaged origins, unemployment, and ecological difficulties in their native states. In the city, they occupy temporary tents or congested labor camps close to building sites, without fundamental amenities and security. Though taking a toll on their health and facing danger, they receive meager compensation (₹500–₹700 per day), frequently subject to delayed payment. Their poor language skills limit their capacity to push for improved conditions or comprehend their entitlements. That is, the lack of accountability on the part of employers and contractors leaves them vulnerable to risky conditions and exploitation.
Some strategies to help the workers could include hiring bilingual or multilingual workers and supervisors who can act as communication bridges between native language workers and Kannada or English-speaking managers. Hiring professional translators for safety documents and training manuals to ensure clear dissemination of important information.
Visual instructions, pictograms, and videos that are able to bypass language barriers and assist workers in comprehending tasks and safety procedures independently of verbal communication. Cellular apps and translation units to enhance real-time communication on work sites.
Offering language training to employees and cultural adaptation can enhance communication and integration. Likewise, making supervisors and managers more aware of the language difficulties that workers encounter promotes a more inclusive and harmonious work environment.
Regular safety checks accompanied by integrated communication strategies ensure that workers with all levels of language proficiency receive and comprehend safety information. Building a culture where workers can confidently report hazards or incidents independent of language skills is indispensable.
In the end, it all sums up how language barriers within Bengaluru’s construction industry are serious issues that impinge on worker safety, productivity, and dignity. The linguistic nature of the city combined with the abundance of migrant workers from other states makes communication a challenging issue that requires active resolutions. Managing these barriers through multilingual recruitment, technology, training, and inclusive communication is not merely important for worker protection but also for sustainable development of Bengaluru’s infrastructure.
By recognizing and tackling language barriers, Bengaluru can build not just its physical structures but also a more equitable and safe environment for the millions of workers who contribute to its development every day.
About Authors: Jiya Rathi and Radhika Bhatia are second-year students of B.A. Media and Journalism at the Department of Media Studies, Christ (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru. Passionate about social impact journalism, they focus on underreported issues affecting marginalized communities.
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