In the Courts
Zepto workers’ strike: In India’s gig economy, the continuing struggle for dignity
The contradictions in India’s approach to platform labour are stark. In 2008, the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act was passed to provide a basic welfare framework for workers outside the formal economy. It defined “unorganised workers” broadly enough to arguably include gig workers. Yet, when Senior Advocate S Muralidhar recently appeared before the Supreme Court on behalf of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), the petition did not even seek relief — it sought a mere clarification. Do gig workers fall under the Act’s scope? The fact that this question still lacks a definitive legal answer reveals the abyss in which workers are suspended.
Labour Demands
What’s the guarantee that the new recruitment will be fair, ask West Bengal’s teachers
The protesting teachers of West Bengal, who recently lost their jobs over a ‘vitiated and tainted’ selection process, have questioned whether fresh recruitments would remain free of fraud, after the West Bengal government issued notifications for a new selection test. Despite certain relaxations specifically for the teachers who lost their jobs after a Supreme Court order on April 3, the teachers have stayed firm on their demand for their exemption from the new selection process.
Over 100 ambulance workers go on strike in Shimla, demand minimum wage
Hamirpur/Shimla (HP), May 28 (PTI) Hundreds of 102 and 108 ambulance workers affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) went on a 24-hour strike last week. Union leaders explained that the strike was prompted by the ongoing discontent regarding the lack of minimum wage payments, which they say has led to harassment of workers. The workers’ demands include payment of minimum wages in accordance with government regulations, double overtime pay for those working twelve hours, the provision of all holidays and no deduction in wages during maintenance periods, besides insurance of vehicles and employees.
Policy Changes
In Ladakh, 85% job quota for locals
The Centre has introduced new reservation and domicile policies for Ladakh, reserving 85% of jobs for locals and one-third of seats in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils for women. The Kargil Democratic Alliance and Apex Body Leh have welcomed these notifications as a positive step. Dialogue will continue regarding statehood and the implementation of the Sixth Schedule.
Odisha raises upper age limit to 42 years for entry to govt jobs
The Odisha cabinet on Wednesday raised the upper age limit for entry into government services in the state to 42 years from the existing 32 years. The upper age limit will be relaxed further for candidates of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC), women, ex-servicemen and people with disabilities (PwD), said the chief secretary.
Women in the Workforce
Employment News
Hiring slump hits fresh graduates as top recruiters cut intake by over 50%
Mumbai: Fresh graduates at some of India's top colleges are enduring one of their toughest placement years yet, with intake by prominent recruiters falling by more than half, according to college sources and top company officials. People said India Inc has turned cautious in fresher hiring due to lower workforce needs amid global geopolitical turmoil and macroeconomic headwinds, crimping business growth this year.
Rural ministry seeks 12% hike in outlay of Rs 5.23 lakh crore for MGNREGS over 5 years
The number of rural families availing of the Employment Guarantee Scheme has dropped 23% over last five years, even as the scheme outlay has decreased 22% over that period. The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has now sought an outlay of Rs 5.23 lakh crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for five years until 2029-30 in its May 15 proposal to the Expenditure Finance Committee. EFC is a panel under the Finance .Ministry that appraises all government schemes and projects. The last three financial years (2022-23 to 2024-25) do not include MGNREGS beneficiaries’ figures for West Bengal, where the scheme has been suspended since March 2022.
NREGA scam: Gujarat minister Bachu Khabad’s son Balvantsinh re-arrested 3 days after release on bail
A new FIR has been filed by the District Rural Development Authority (DRDA) regarding alleged irregularities under the MGNREGA in the Dhanpur taluka.
India's Labour Economy
Video--Ludhiana: Workers who went back home due to fear of war did not return, production of hosiery clothes stopped
लुधियाना में होजरी कपड़ों के कारोबारी परेशान हैं। उनकी परेशानी की वजह है मजदूरों का न होना। इससे काम लगभग ठप सा पड़ा है। देखिये ये रिपोर्ट
Sanitation Workers
Centre’s NAMASTE scheme nears 2 years; 91,000 sanitation workers identified
The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem scheme approaches its 2nd anniversary in July. Study group assessing scheme’s impact expected to submit report by Dec. Internal Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment data reveals the nationwide validation drive has identified 79,700 SSWs, underscoring India’s continued reliance on this hazardous manual labour. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number (11,700), followed by Maharashtra (7,649), Tamil Nadu (6,975), and Karnataka (6,307). Other states with significant validated workers include Gujarat (5,436), Punjab (4,407), Andhra Pradesh (4,036), Delhi (3,626), Jammu & Kashmir (709), and Puducherry (243).
Forest Rights
In a bid for self-sufficiency, tribals in Odisha are asserting ownership rights over local forests
Those living in the forest villages of Odisha’s Kalahandi district, mostly tribal, are coming together to assert their rights over the forest provided to them by law, but often not claimed and sometimes denied. Satyasundar Barik finds that they are directly negotiating with traders to create a source of income without government go-betweens.
Providing Jobs
In Kashmir, A Job Letter Arrives But The Mother Who Prayed For It Is Gone
Srinagar: All her life, Nargis Begum had dreamt of seeing her children secure govt jobs. But when the appointment letter arrived for her elder son, Saqib Bashir Khan, it was met with grief, not celebrations at their home in Uri village near the Line of Control (LoC) in North Kashmir. Nargis was among 16 people killed in cross-border shelling in j&K last month during Operation Sindoor. The govt offered Rs 10 lakh monetary compensation for each family, and Home Minister Amit Shah personally distributed appointment letters to these families in Jammu's Poonch on May 30.
Skilling
Roadside mechanics seek skills to shift gears to EV
As India incentivises electric vehicles to cut emissions, auto repair workers face uncertainty, with many at risk of being left behind in this transition to cleaner mobility.
Media Workers
PRESSING CHARGES A Study of Criminal Cases Against Journalists Across States in India
Journalists around the world too often face criminal prosecutions for their work. National Law University Delhi, TrialWatch, and Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute have developed and analyzed a first-of-its kind dataset, covering criminal cases brought against journalists between 2012 and 2022 across India. The report which includes an interactive online database, covers a total of 624 incidents of criminalization of journalists in relation to their work from 2012-2022. As part of this project, 48 journalists were also interviewed.