Leader Writer: Yumnam Vedajit
One of the problems confronting Manipur is the growing problem of unemployment. In this context, we need to encourage manual workers and labourers of all sorts so that our future generations do Manipur proud and enable the state to stand on its own feet and Manipur can carve a niche in the world by channelizing untapped potentials. It is important to develop an awareness of the way the potentials of Manipuris can be tapped that people who do not get white collar jobs may earn their living through alternative services of unskilled workers, skilled workers etc.
A skilled worker acquires some special skill, knowledge, ability for doing the work either by attending an educational institute or technical academy or by learning their skills on the job as the skilled labour involves specific skill sets, education, training and experience, and may involve abstract thinking. Whereas the work of unskilled workers does not require prior training, experience etc.
The skilled labour jobs include carpentry and handicrafts among others. General characteristics of skilled workers include more training, higher pay, and more responsibilities than unskilled workers. We need both skilled and unskilled works in Manipur.
It is encouraging that there are some organisations that provide the services of domestic helps, others etc. For instance, there are families which do not have no one to depend on when one of the family members need service during child delivery. But such problems are resolved by the organisations proving the service of domestic help. Nowadays there are other services provided by organisations or some individuals and for that matter, we have mandap service providers, etc.
There are workers who provide service by cleaning and washing the utensils and dishes when a grand feast takes place. A few Manipuris work as barbers.
However there are various manual jobs that can be done successfully by unskilled or semiskilled workers. In this field non locals are experts from whom Manipuris can learn a lot. Awareness must be generated that there is nothing to be ashamed of when someone does honestly the manual job for livelihood.
A labourer involved in construction works or other trades is conventionally referred to as unskilled manual labour, opposite to skilled labour. With the arrival of advanced technology and its introduction into the domain of construction, the work of the labourers has covered much of this technology as being labourers’ work though manual labour or manual work is physical work done by people, most especially as opposed to that done by machines. It is factually the work done with the hands.
A blue-collar worker who is a working class person performs manual labour. Blue-collar work which may involve skilled or unskilled labour includes construction, manufacturing, mechanical maintenance, technical installation, many other types of physical work etc. Another type of workers, a pink collar worker is a service worker whose labour concerns sales, customer interaction, entertainment, other service oriented work etc. Many occupations mix blue, white and pink service categorizations.
The amount of manual labour required for production and other areas of activities is reduced by mechanisation and automation. We have to raise awareness how we have to work out strategies in domestic labour markets (within countries) and the global labour market (between countries).
The general attitude amongst the whole population of workers in the world is to compete against one another irrespective of the differences in their standard of living and as such workers of the state too should join in the competition and try to uplift themselves and their state.