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Social Security of Mining Workers: Policy Versus Practice

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Abstract

This study assesses the role of mining companies in providing social security benefits to mining workers and the local community. It has used primary data collected from adult mining workers in 257 households working in public and private sector mines. The result finds inadequate social security benefits are delivered to mining workers and the local people. The profit-making behavior of mining companies, casual job contracts of workers, and poor monitoring and implementation of the mining laws are primarily responsible for workers’ deprivation from such fundamental rights. However, we observed that publicly managed mines are relatively better than privately managed mines in providing social security to the workers and area. In this context, recommendations of the study include strict implementation of mine laws, permanent job contract to workers, provision of employment for women both in open-cast and underground mines with proper social protection and security, necessary infrastructural development in the locality, and involvement of professional social workers to fight against the violation of human rights in the mining periphery.

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Fig. 1

Source: Author’s compilation from the field survey

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Source: Author’s compilation from the field survey

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Source: Author’s compilation from the field survey

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Source: Author’s compilation from the field survey

Fig. 5

Source: Author’s compilation from the field survey

Fig. 6

Source: Author’s compilation from the field survey

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Source: Author’s compilation from the field survey

Fig. 8

Source: Author’s compilation from the field survey

Fig. 9

Source: Author’s compilation from the field survey

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the anonymous referees and Professor Asutosh Pradhan of Central University of Himachal Pradesh, India for their valuable comments that improved the quality of the paper significantly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Excellence in Studies on Tribal and Marginalized Communities (CoE-STMC), Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Odisha, India

    Pradeep Kumar Sahoo

  2. Xavier Institute of Management, XIM University, Bhubaneswar, 751013, Odisha, India

    Ranjan Kumar Mohanty

  3. Department of Analytical and Applied Economics & RUSA Centre of Excellence in Public Policy and Governance, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Odisha, India

    Himanshu Sekhar Rout

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  1. Pradeep Kumar Sahoo
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Correspondence to Himanshu Sekhar Rout.

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Appendix

Appendix

Fig. 10
figure 10

The location of selected villages in Keonjhar district

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Table 7 The sample details
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Sahoo, P.K., Mohanty, R.K. & Rout, H.S. Social Security of Mining Workers: Policy Versus Practice. J. Hum. Rights Soc. Work 8, 57–74 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-022-00226-z

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