Migrant workers play important role in maintaining hotels

Mangaluru

The city's hotel industry is grappling with a significant shortage of local workers. Youngsters in the region increasingly prefer jobs abroad or in other parts of India, forcing hoteliers to rely on a migrant workforce from Northeast India and north Karnataka. According to Dakshina Kannada Hotels’ Association President, Chandrahas Shetty, about 80 percent to 90 percent of the hotel workforce, including cooks, are replaced predominantly by workers from north India. This demographic shift presents a consistent struggle for businesses to find local human resources, forcing them to seek a workforce from other states. For example, the 130-year-old Akkamakka's Meals Hotel on KSR Road, a family-run eatery, is now staffed by workers from North India and North Karnataka. Hoteliers are happy with the shift, and say that the current workforce is consistent, hard-working, and quick to learn. It was needed for the survival of our business. Over the years, our family-run business employed local workers. However, they were not consistent in their work, with chronic absenteeism and substance use during work, which at times damaged the patron flow to the hotel. In the past few years, we recruited staff from north India and North Karnataka.

They are always available, dedicated to work, and quick to learn the art of serving food and kitchen management, said Abhishek Shetty and Ramesh Shetty, a fourth-generation hotelier running the facility.

Majority of the people in Dakshina Kannada are well-educated, at least having completed PU. They do not wish to work in the industry here, but prefer moving to other cities. Therefore, close to 80 percent to 90 percent of the labour force in the hotel industry is now occupied by people from North India, Dakshina Kannada Hotels’ Association President Chandrahas Shetty he said.