Urban Livelihoods: CBSE Class 6 Civics Chapter 9

Exploring Different Kinds of Urban Work

In a city, you can see people engaged in countless activities to earn money. We can group these 'urban livelihoods' into a few main types.

1. Street Workers & The Self-Employed: A large number of people in cities work on the streets. Think of the vegetable vendor, the flower seller, the newspaper hawker, or the cobbler who mends shoes. These people are self-employed. They are their own bosses, but their work is not easy. They often have no permanent shop and may have to set up their wares on a plastic sheet or cart. Their income is not fixed; they earn more on some days and less on others. They also have no benefits like paid holidays or sick leave. If they don't work, they don't earn.

2. Shop Owners & Businesspersons: These individuals have permanent shops or run their own businesses, like a sweets shop, a medical store, or a garment showroom. Their situation is more stable than that of street vendors. They have a fixed place of business and often earn a more regular income. They might also employ other people to help them.

3. Wage Workers (Casual & Permanent): Many people work for others and receive a wage or salary. This can be of two types: casual and permanent.

A Tale of Two Workers: Casual vs. Permanent

1. Ramu - The Casual Worker — Ramu is a construction worker. He is a casual worker. He goes to a place called a 'labour chowk' every morning, where he waits with other labourers for contractors to hire them for the day. If he gets work, he earns a daily wage. If there is no work, he earns nothing. He has no job security and receives no benefits like paid leave or medical help from his employer.
2. Sudha - The Permanent Worker — Sudha works as a marketing manager in a company. She is a permanent worker. She has a regular job with a fixed monthly salary. Her job is secure. She also gets many other benefits like a provident fund (savings for retirement), paid holidays, and medical facilities for her family. She has fixed working hours and gets a weekly day off.
3. Key Differences Summarised — The biggest difference is security. Sudha's job is secure and comes with many benefits, providing her and her family with stability. Ramu's work is insecure, and his income is uncertain, making daily life a challenge.

Challenges Faced by Urban Workers

• Lack of Job Security: This is the biggest problem for casual workers. They can be asked to leave their job at any time.
• Irregular and Low Income: Street vendors and casual labourers do not have a fixed income. Their earnings can change daily.
• No Social Security: Most self-employed and casual workers do not get benefits like pensions, paid sick leave, or health insurance.
• Long Working Hours: Many workers in factories or small workshops have to work for 10-12 hours a day, often in poor and unsafe conditions.
• Harassment: Street vendors often face problems from the police or municipal authorities who may ask them to remove their stalls.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: What is the main difference between a casual worker and a permanent worker? A: Step 1: Define a casual worker. A casual worker is employed on a daily basis and does not have job security or benefits like paid leave. For example, a construction labourer. Step 2: Define a permanent worker. A permanent worker has a regular job, a fixed monthly salary, job security, and receives benefits like provident fund and medical facilities. Step 3: State the main difference. The main difference is job security and social benefits. Permanent jobs are secure and have benefits, while casual jobs are insecure and have no benefits. Final answer: The main difference is that permanent workers have job security and receive regular salary and benefits, whereas casual workers lack job security and benefits, and are often paid daily.
• Q: Why do many people migrate from villages to cities to find work? A: Step 1: Identify the push factors from villages. In villages, work, especially in agriculture, is often seasonal. For many months in a year, there might be no work and no income. Step 2: Identify the pull factors of cities. Cities offer a wider variety of job opportunities throughout the year, not just in one sector. People believe they have a better chance of finding some form of work in the city, even if it is as a casual labourer or a street vendor. Final answer: People migrate from villages to cities because villages often have only seasonal work leading to periods of no income, while cities offer more diverse and year-round employment opportunities, promising a better chance to earn a livelihood.
• Q: List three problems faced by street vendors in a city. A: Step 1: Identify the problem related to their workspace. Street vendors do not have a permanent place to sell their goods. They often work on pavements and can be asked to move by authorities. Step 2: Identify the problem related to income. Their income is not fixed. It depends on daily sales, weather conditions, and many other factors. Step 3: Identify the problem related to social security. They do not get any benefits like paid sick leave or holidays. If they don't work, they don't earn. Final answer: Three problems faced by street vendors are: 1) Lack of a permanent place to conduct business and fear of eviction. 2) Irregular and uncertain income. 3) No social security benefits like sick leave or pensions.
• Q: What are the benefits that a permanent worker, like Sudha in the textbook example, receives? A: Step 1: List the financial benefits. A permanent worker receives a regular monthly salary. They also get a part of their salary saved in a Provident Fund (PF) for retirement. Step 2: List the leave-related benefits. They get paid leave for holidays, national festivals, and when they are sick. Step 3: List other welfare benefits. They often receive medical benefits for themselves and their families. Final answer: A permanent worker like Sudha receives several benefits, including a regular monthly salary, job security, a provident fund for savings, paid leave for holidays and sickness, and medical facilities for their family.

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