Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Work and Economic Life from Class 10 Social_Science. We will explore division of labour and classes, discrimination in labour, unemployment and its types, reasons, consequences and solutions, as well as organised and unorganised labourers. Note this for your exams, as these concepts form the foundation of our economic life. Labour is an act performed to achieve a particular goal. If an individual is able, through the exercise of his energy or effort, to get economic benefit or any other benefit in material form, it is called labour. Labour is an integral part of our economic life. It is essential to lead one’s life. Labour is related to the external purpose of material benefit and involves effort. In addition to this, there is also the factor of fulfillment of basic requirements of life. Depending upon the economic life, the work assumes various forms and varies from society to society. It also varies from time to time.
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Now let us move on to division of labour and classes. Division of labour means work being done by people depending on their interests, tastes, abilities, age, expertise, skills and gender. For example, the cloth that we wear is manufactured by the collective effort of agriculturists, weavers, dyers, traders and tailors who work at different places. Division of labour leads to specialization. Specialization means achieving sufficient expertise, training and skill in any particular field. Division of labour has helped people to work in various fields and earn economic profit. This has led to the creation of economic strata and a class system has been created by division of labour. In modern days, the class system was created by industrialization. In today’s industrialized society, specialization has become very important. With specialization developing in every field, industries have grown in number. Trade and commerce have expanded.
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Next, we will understand paid work and unpaid work. Work that provides wages, salary or any other material benefit is called paid work. Engaging in various activities like ploughing in fields, working in factories, teaching in schools, constructing buildings, and repairing vehicles has become inevitable in today’s complex society. All human activities cannot be called work. Any activity undertaken for self-satisfaction cannot be called work. It is an activity without material benefit. Activities indulged in without any definite purpose, but which give mental satisfaction are called unpaid work. For example, an artist painting a picture for his own satisfaction is unpaid work. However, in the caste and race system, black and lower caste people were forcefully working without pay.
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Let us now examine labour discrimination. Inequality at work and in wages is called labour discrimination. Although both men and women are engaged in work, their jobs may not be the same. In most countries of the world including India, men are offered better jobs. Similarly, higher responsibilities and remuneration are also extended. Women get lesser responsibilities and remuneration. However, in the governmental sector, discrimination is rare. It is found more in the unorganized sector. There is another form of discrimination with regard to work of men and women. Nowadays, women are taking up employment in huge numbers. However, there is discrimination in the remuneration given to them. Though they do exactly the same kind of work as men, the fact that they are being paid less is nothing but exploitation. To put an end to this problem, the Central Government has enacted the Equal Wages Act in 1976.
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In the organized sectors of major cities, this sort of discrimination is coming down. Even the agricultural sector practices discrimination based on gender, age and ability. Here too, there is inequality in the payment of wages. As literacy is slowly improving, this kind of discrimination is coming down. Now we will study unemployment. One of the major problems that is haunting the country’s economic development and social structure is unemployment. Backward and developing countries are already in its stranglehold. In India, this has become a serious problem. Unemployment means inability to get work in spite of proper age, ability and interest. Those who are willing to work but are denied an opportunity to do so, are called unemployed. The causes for unemployment are over-population, mechanization, too much of division of labour, social inequality, insufficient capital and illiteracy. Unemployment leads to poverty, ill-health, crimes, corruption, family disintegration, cheating, deception, robbery, and prostitution. This is a serious social malady. Consider this discussion point carefully: Unemployment is not a problem. Though there are opportunities for employment, we create unemployment by not utilizing those opportunities.
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Let us look at the remedies for unemployment. To tackle the problem of unemployment, the government has planned many programs. They are population control, encouragement to cottage industries, agricultural development, industrial development, educational reforms, five-year plans, encouragement to vocational education, rural development, and employment-guarantee programs. In recent years, information technology has made significant progress in the country resulting in innumerable employment opportunities in the service sector. Here is an important point for your awareness. Today rural areas are witnessing a shortage of qualified, employable youth rather than lack of employment opportunities. The reason for this phenomenon is that the rural youth are migrating to the cities in search of better employment opportunities, thereby creating an acute shortage of hands in the agricultural sector. Similarly, in the cities, there is a shortage of skilled people.
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Next, we will learn about organised and unorganised workers. Those who are working in specific fields which are governed by legal rules and regulations are called organised workers. In the organized sector, every employee’s work is subject to specific terms and conditions. In the organized sector, there is organizational hierarchy. The workers enjoy facilities of specialization, training, talent, experience and educational qualifications. These employees’ day to day transactions are recorded in written form. They get fixed wages, allowances, paid leave and pension facilities. In addition, they get medical facility too. They have specific hours of work. The workers in insurance companies, educational institutions, banks, armed forces, private companies, and government departments are identified as organised workers.
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Now let us understand unorganised workers. People who work in areas which are not governed by specific rules and regulations or unions, and lead their lives by earning daily wages or material benefit in any other form, are called unorganized workers. Since the unorganized sector is very vast, it is not under government control. For example, domestic servants, construction workers, agricultural labourers, footpath hawkers, vehicle repairers, and push-cart vegetable vendors also come under this group. Let us discuss the problems of unorganized workers. The work of unorganized workers is not bound by any rules or regulations. They get only wages for their work without any additional facilities or medical help. They are denied job security, fixed wages and allowances. Sometimes unorganized workers are harassed by entrepreneurs.
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Now let us move to the exercises to prepare for your exams. I will read each question and provide the complete answer based on your textbook. Exercise one, fill in the blanks with suitable words. Question one: Division of labour leads to specialization. Question two: Workers without special training are called unskilled workers. Question three: Workers who have special training and expertise are called skilled workers. Exercise two, answer the following in one sentence each. Question four: What is Division of labour? Division of labour means work being done by people depending on their interests, tastes, abilities, age, expertise, skills and gender. Question five: What is paid work? Work that provides wages, salary or any other material benefit is called paid work. Question six: What is the meaning of Unemployment? Unemployment means inability to get work in spite of proper age, ability and interest. Question seven: What are the reasons for unemployment? Over-population, mechanization, too much of division of labour, social inequality, insufficient capital and illiteracy are the causes for unemployment. Question eight: What are the effects of unemployment? Unemployment leads to poverty, ill-health, crimes, corruption, family disintegration, cheating, deception, robbery, and prostitution.
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Exercise three, discuss the following in groups and answer them. Question nine: Explain the nature of discrimination in labour. Inequality at work and in wages is called labour discrimination. Men are offered better jobs with higher responsibilities and remuneration, while women get lesser. It is rare in the governmental sector but more common in the unorganized sector. Paying women less for the exact same work is exploitation. The Central Government enacted the Equal Wages Act in 1976 to end this. Discrimination is decreasing in organized sectors of major cities, but the agricultural sector still discriminates based on gender, age, and ability, though improving literacy is helping reduce it. Question ten: What are the measures for removal of unemployment? The government has planned programs including population control, encouragement to cottage industries, agricultural development, industrial development, educational reforms, five-year plans, encouragement to vocational education, rural development, and employment-guarantee programs. Additionally, progress in information technology has created innumerable employment opportunities in the service sector.
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Question eleven: What are the differences between organized and unorganized workers? Organized workers work in fields governed by legal rules and regulations, with specific terms, organizational hierarchy, written records, fixed wages, allowances, paid leave, pension, medical facilities, and specific working hours. Examples include workers in insurance companies, educational institutions, banks, armed forces, private companies, and government departments. Unorganized workers work in areas without specific rules or unions, earning daily wages or other material benefits, with no government control, no job security, no fixed wages or allowances, and no medical facilities. Examples include domestic servants, construction workers, agricultural labourers, footpath hawkers, vehicle repairers, and push-cart vegetable vendors. Exercise four, activity. Make a list of organised and unorganised labourers in your area. You should observe your local community, identify workers in regulated sectors like banks, schools, and government offices for the organised list, and identify daily wage earners, street vendors, domestic helpers, and farm workers for the unorganised list. Exercise five, project. Conduct an interview with unorganised labourers and prepare a report about their problems. You should speak with workers from the unorganised sector, ask about their working conditions, wages, job security, access to medical help, and any harassment they face, then compile your findings into a structured report.
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Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]