The Hindu Business Line : `Bengal has good labour productivity in a few sectors'

CONTRARY to public perception, West Bengal has had reasonably good labour productivity in quite a few industry sectors, according to a study done by the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI).

Covering 1999-2000, the study says that in sectors such as manufacture of tobacco products, labour productivity in West Bengal was better than the national average of 5.57.

Labour productivity was also found to be good for publishing and printing where it was above the national average and was at comparable levels for industries such as manufacture of electrical machinery, fabricated metal products and apparel. For defining labour productivity, the ASI study related net value added to wages.

In terms of worker efficiency, i.e. output per worker, it was found that West Bengal was in an advantageous position in respect of industry groups such as manufacture of wearing apparel, tanning and dressing of leather, manufacture of handbags and other leather goods besides tobacco products and publishing and printing.

As regards industrial efficiency, as reflected in total input use and total output produced, it was found that the performance was satisfactory for industries such as textiles, publishing, manufacture of radio, television and communication equipment and apparatus and transport equipment manufacture. Capital productivity too was good for most of these industry groups, the survey showed.

However, it needs to be mentioned that just as there are industry groups where West Bengal workers have given a good account of themselves, there are many where they have not.

Included in the latter group are manufacture of coke, refined petroleum products, machinery and equipment, office and other computing equipment, manufacture of motor vehicles and trailers, and manufacture of furniture.

Wage rate (defined as total wages to number of workers) in West Bengal is higher than the all-India rates for as many as seven of the 25 industry groups covered by the ASI survey. These include textiles, tanning, chemicals and chemical products, electrical machinery. In respect of industries such as manufacture of office equipment the rate here is double that of the national figure.

However in respect of sectors such as manufacture of food products and beverages, wood and wood products, rubber and plastic products, motor vehicles and furniture the West Bengal workers seemed to be worse off than their co-workers elsewhere in the country according to the survey.

The ASI survey covered the entire factory sector comprising industrial units registered under the Factories Act, 1948. But it excluded mining units, railway workshops, establishments under the control of the defence ministry, oil storage and distribution, restaurants and cafes and technical training institutes and all electricity undertakings other than captive power units.

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