Brick kiln workers grapple with poor wages, harsh work conditions

brick kilnLucknow: This Labour Day, a critical sector in the state’s infrastructural development is crying for help.Thousands of workers employed in brick kilns across the state are continuing to struggle for fair wages, better work environment and access to basic amenities, while kiln owners seek access to govt schemes and facilities.India is the second-largest producer of bricks in the world after China. UP itself has around 19,500 kilns, but of the thousands of workers employed there, roughly 15% are from UP and the rest are migrant labourers from Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, etc.In 2025, Buniyaad, a multi-stakeholder collective working in UP’s brick industry for equity-based decarbonisation within the industry, helped draft a charter of over 100 demands from both workers and kiln owners and approached skill development, MSME and labour departments.“Some departments responded, but largely, nothing much has been achieved in the past year,” said Alok Ranjan, campaigner, Buniyaad.UP has a policy on brick kilns, but it is an old one and there are no talks about revision. While the UP govt recently formulated more inclusive labour laws, providing safeguards to even contractual employees, brick kiln workers fall through the gaps as most are not even from UP, and largely neither registered with UP govt nor with their respective state. They come to UP for 7-8 months each year to work in kilns and return to their villages.“These workers are from marginalised communities, often in an endless debt trap with contractors who hire them. You can say they work like bonded labourers. We have been approaching various departments, but there has been no cohesive action,” said Ranjan.“They can’t get labour cards as to get one they need Aadhaar KYC, but they change their numbers frequently, so that doesn’t work. Like universal ration, these workers should be able to access health facilities through labour cards, and the govt should understand the specific nature of their work to grant them these cards easily,” he said.Back pain, eyesight problems and skin issues are prominent problems that these workers face. Many workers suffer from body pain due to their working posture, while some report breathing issues due to dust.Mahajan Ali, who works at the grassroots in Jaunpur, describes the hardships of workers, who are especially vulnerable to health issues due to their proximity to dust and the high temperatures they work in.“When labourers come to work in a kiln, they set up tents around it where their families, including children, stay,” he said.Due to an outdated policy, not only workers but kiln owners also complain of a lack of facilities.Ratan Srivastava, a brick kiln owner from Chandauli, said they were asked to update their technology frequently, but they get no financial assistance from the govt.“Kiln owners have been given a bad name, but we are enforcing 14 labour laws. We have also been asking for the labour to be skilled, but nobody is paying attention,” he said.