Policy and Inclusion Dialogue Series

 

 

 

Labour Reforms and the new Challenges to Collective Bargaining

 

Panelists: Prof. Praveen Jha, Professor & Chiarperson, Centre for Economic Planning, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Prof. Atul Sood, Professor, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawharlal Nehru University; Prof. Babu Mathew, Visiting Professor teaching Master of Public Policy Programme, National Law School of India University; representatives of Aajeevika team; and representatives of Trade Unions – CITU, AITUC, NTI & KNS

 

 

 

The recent labour reforms by NDA government have led to the streamlining of 44 labour legislations into four broad codes. The Code on wages received the Presidential assent on August 8, 2019, and is notified by the Government, whereas the Codes on Industrial Relations, Social Security and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions are underway. These reforms, despite attempts by the government to project it as a much needed benevolent project which caters to the interest of workers, can inflict major set-backs on extremely important working-class rights. Scholars and commentators, who have analyzed the codes in-depth, have noted that the laws have been casually written, to reduce average wages, lengthen daily working hours and reduce the pro-worker role which labour inspectors can play.  To sum up, the collective-bargaining potential of workers, which is weak in any case, due to large-scale informalisation of labour post-neo-liberalization faces further challenges.

 

 

 

The panel will discuss the recent labour reforms and the challenges it poses to collective bargaining. Speakers will include academic experts and participation of trade-union leaders

 

 

 

(Collaboration: Centre for Equity Studies; The Wire; and Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung)