Social Security of Labour in New Industrial Towns

Social security in the formal sector has an institutionalised expression. In case of the agrarian informal sector, pre-capitalist institutions of patronage perform this role of providing social security. In the case of the new industries, the process of flexibilisation has led to the generation of informal segments within the organised sector. Social security in this case is a complex issue since, firstly, it involves migration of labour from rural areas to what are termed as new townships; secondly, the labour in the new industries is recruited on contractual or casual basis; and thirdly, insecurity of employment prevents unionisation of labour. It is in this context that this paper attempts to define social security; conceptualise in what forms and through what institutions it finds an expression; and finally analyse what attributes enable access to these institutions.