Green buildings, old wages: Bengaluru construction workers yet to benefit from low-carbon push
A study by WRI India reveals that Bengaluru's transition to green construction has not yet improved wages or working conditions for laborers. Despite the city's focus on low-carbon buildings, workers remain underpaid and often lack access to legal benefits.
Why it matters
It highlights the 'just transition' challenge, where environmental progress in urban development often fails to address the socio-economic needs of the vulnerable workforce.
Bengaluru’s push for greener buildings may create a new set of jobs, but for the workers already building the city, the transition has so far meant little change in their wages or working conditions.
A new study has found that an unskilled construction worker on a large, code-compliant project in Bengaluru can earn as little as ₹500 a day , below the State’s mandated minimum wage of ₹669.61, while workers on smaller projects earn between ₹700 and ₹1,000 a day, according to a WRI India working paper.
The study found no wage difference between workers employed on low-carbon certified buildings and those working on conventional projects.
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