The Foundry Cluster in Howrah: Socio-Economic Dimensions

The paper portrays an overview of a foundry cluster in Howrah, the plight of the unorganized workforce, and the prospect of the iron foundry industry in the years to come. An effort is made to understand the problems and prospects of the iron foundry units from within; and to study labour related issues, the origin of the labour class, the profile of the workforce, the characteristic patterns of the foundry units in Howrah, the working conditions and future prospects of the industry. Finally, the paper proposes a viable solution to the problems, through a partnership approach, facilitating a development dialogue.