Labour unrest in India: Governments must address wage, working conditions, and reform
The article discusses a wave of factory worker protests across India, including Noida, Sriperumbudur, Panipat, and Raipur, driven by low wages, unpaid overtime, and refusal to recognize unions. It highlights that the new Labour Codes, enforced from late 2025, allow 12-hour workdays and specify wage floors but not actual wages, leading to exploitation and increased contract labour. The protests are exacerbated by the energy crisis and rising food prices. The author criticizes the government's approach of viewing unrest as a law-and-order problem and calls for genuine labour reform, humane working hours, and fair wages, emphasizing the need for tripartite consultation which has been absent since 2015.
Key Points
- Widespread factory worker protests in India are driven by low wages, unpaid overtime, and lack of union recognition.
- The new Labour Codes, effective from late 2025, are criticized for enabling exploitation by allowing long workdays and setting wage floors without specifying actual wages.
- The rise in contract labour and the energy/food crises have exacerbated worker grievances.
- The government's tendency to treat labour unrest as a law-and-order problem is criticized, with calls for genuine labour reform.
- The article advocates for humane working hours, fair wages, and the reinstatement of tripartite consultation, which has been missing since 2015.
Exam Facts
- Protest locations mentioned: Noida, Sriperumbudur, Panipat, Raipur
- New Labour Codes: Enforced from late 2025
- Indian Labour Conference: Not convened since 2015
- Demanded monthly wages: ₹18,000 to ₹25,000
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