Labour Demands
AIKS Calls Upon Farmers to Protest Decision to Scrap 11% Import Duty on Raw Cotton
The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has condemned the decision of the RSS-BJP led union government to scrap the 11% import duty on raw cotton. The decision, notified by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is valid from August 19 until September 30, 2025. According to the AIKS, this decision will result in a reduction in the price of imported cotton which, in turn, will push prices of domestic cotton downwards.
India extends import duty exemption on cotton till Dec 2025 amid US tariff pressure
New Delhi: To give relief to the textile sector from the US tariffs, the Central Government on Thursday announced to extend the exemption of import duty on cotton till December 31, 2025. The move is aimed at ensuring adequate availability of cotton for the domestic textile industry, according to a Ministry of Finance press release. It also stated that further notifications will follow.
Employment News
Manufacturing GVA rises 12% in FY24, employment up 6%
India's manufacturing sector experienced substantial growth in 2023-24, with a GVA increase of 11.9% reaching ₹24.6 lakh crore, a 65.5% surge from pre-pandemic levels. Basic metals led the GVA share, while food products saw the highest employment. The sector added over 5.7 million jobs in the last decade, with Tamil Nadu leading in employment numbers.
In the Courts
'Disturbing That Contractual Asst Professors Get Only Rs 30K' : Supreme Court Asks Gujarat Govt To Rationalise Pay Structure
The Supreme Court expressed dismay at the low salaries being given to the Assistant Professors who are appointed on contractual basis in various Government Colleges in the State of Gujarat.The Court stated that it was high time for the State to rationalise the pay structure of Assistant Professors on the basis of functions that they perform. The Court also criticised the State for making ad-hoc appointments even when sanctioned posts remained vacant.
Madras HC refuses to halt Chennai Corporation from going ahead with privatization of sanitation works
CHENNAI: In a big blow to the conservancy workers who had recently launched a spirited protest, the Madras High Court on Wednesday refused to halt the Greater Chennai Corporation from going ahead with its decision to privatise sanitation works in Zone V and VI-Royapuram and Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar areas in the city. The judge directed the state to negotiate with Delhi MSW Solutions, the private agency awarded the contract for conservancy works in Zone V and VI, in order to ensure the sanitation workers are paid the last drawn wages.
Plea Against Resident Doctors' Inhuman Working Hours : Supreme Court Seeks Responses Of Centre & NMC
he Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a writ petition filed by the United Doctors Front (UDF) challenging what it terms as the "systematic exploitation" of the resident doctors across the country.The petitioner sought the implementation of the 1992 Central notification that restricts the duty hours of resident doctors to 12 hours per day and 48 hours per week.
Supreme Court Declares Andhra Pradesh Forest Range Officers Eligible for IFS Promotion
Supreme Court rules Andhra Pradesh Forest Range Officers are part of State Forest Service and eligible for Indian Forest Service promotions under IFS Recruitment Rules, 1966. The Court noted that the Andhra Pradesh Forest Service Rules, 1997 include both Assistant Conservators of Forests and Forest Range Officers under Class A gazetted posts. Hence, FROs must be treated as part of the State Forest Service.
HC: Married daughter not barred from appointment on compassionate grounds
Prayagraj: A married daughter cannot be excluded from the benefit of appointment on compassionate grounds, a division bench of the Allahabad High Court observed earlier this month, overturning the decision of a single judge bench and ordering the district basic education officer (DBEO) to decide the appellant's claim afresh, within eight weeks, after examining all relevant issues.
Benefits for Workers
Kerala launches 'Jyothi' to ensure education for migrant workers' children
The Kerala government has launched a comprehensive initiative aimed at ensuring access to education for the children of migrant workers. Titled "Jyothi", it seeks to bring all children of migrant workers aged 3 to 6 into the anganwadis while ensuring those aged 6 and above are fully integrated into public schools, a CMO statement said here on Wednesday. Migrant workers form an essential part of Kerala's workforce, with over 35 lakh workers contributing across various sectors.
The Gig Economy
Debate Over Exclusions & Gaps in Karnataka Gig Workers Law: MLAs Call for Greater Inclusion
Karnataka has taken a major step by introducing a dedicated law for gig workers. Although the Gig Workers bill requires algorithmic transparency, it does not specify who will verify platform disclosures or what happens if companies fail to comply. Workers still have no clear way to contest unfair deactivations or opaque payment decisions. The law improves visibility but does not ensure accountability.
What I learnt in two months as a gig worker
Working for a platform means surrendering to digital management in ways traditional employment rarely demands. The app does not just facilitate work – it monitors, evaluates and controls every aspect of it. Location tracking runs continuously, monitoring speed, route efficiency and idle time. Push notifications arrive constantly, pressuring workers to stay online during peak hours or accept additional orders.
Low wages, threats from aggregators: TGPWU releases ‘Impact report’
Hyderabad: The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) released an ‘Impact Evaluation Report’ on Saturday, August 23, highlighting issues faced by gig workers, the government’s response to their demands, and initiatives undertaken by the union to support its members and their families. A survey conducted among 200 TGPWU members revealed some of the major problems affecting platform workers, with low fares emerging as a prominent issue.
Rahul Gandhi backs 6 lakh gig workers hit by bike-taxi ban in Karnataka
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has thrown his weight behind Karnataka’s bike-taxi riders, insisting that the Government cannot abandon six lakh gig workers whose livelihoods have been derailed by the State’s ban on app-based services.
Retail driving gig economy, with workforce set to reach 23.5 mn by 2030: Report
India's retail landscape is undergoing a seismic transformation where traditional full-time jobs are giving way to a new model of flexible, on-demand work. A recent report from Deloitte in partnership with FICCI, "Spotting India's PRIME innovation moment," reveals that the gig workforce in India is expected to reach 23.5 million by 2030, with retail being a major driver.
Livelihoods
Precious threads
India is home to the largest population of craft artisans in the world; yet their labour is rarely transformed into storied brands that allow them to share in the commercial value they create. Our nation’s aesthetic intelligence remains disconnected from its economic structures. Craft traditions endure in technique, but they falter in innovation, visibility, and reward.
Tailpiece
Video: Brave Nurse Crosses Flooded Stream In Himachal Pradesh To Vaccinate Baby
A staff nurse in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district has gone viral for her bravery after crossing a raging stream to reach a two-month-old baby who needed vaccination. In the video, Kamla Devi, a 40-year-old health worker, is seen risking her life crossing a raging stream in Chauharghati to vaccinate the infant.
Policy Changes
VIDEO: Indian Leather Industry Reels as US Tariffs Bite
Exporters in Kanpur, India's leather hub, are worried after clients from the U.S. cancelled orders in response to additional tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
After Trump notifies additional tariff, textiles units in Tirupur, Noida & Surat halt production, say exporters
“Textiles and apparel manufacturers in Tirupur, Noida, and Surat have halted production amid worsening cost competitiveness. This sector is losing ground to lower-cost rivals from Vietnam and Bangladesh. As for seafood, especially shrimps, since the US market absorbs nearly 40 per cent of Indian seafood exports, the tariff increase risks stockpile losses, disrupted supply chains, and farmer distress,” FIEO President S C Ralhan said in a statement.
50% US Tariffs Hit India Hard, Send Carpet and Shoe Industries in Crisis
The US’s 50% tariff on Indian goods has unleashed a crisis for Bhadohi’s carpet weavers and Agra’s footwear makers, threatening the livelihoods of millions. Bhadohi, which sends 60% of India’s carpets to the US, and Agra, exporting $500 million in leather shoes, face factory closures and job losses. Artisans and exporters are urging swift government action to save these industries.
In Delhi’s neighbourhood Trump tariff hits mood
As 50% tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump kicked in the immediate effect is a halt in orders and bargaining from clients asking exporters to share the burden, industry insiders told TOI. Gurgaon and Noida house some of India's biggest garment exporters - from sequined tops to polo shirts, resort wear and kaftans - supplying brands like Target, GAP, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Macy's, Zara and Walmart.
Lull after storm: Layoff fears haunt garment unit worker
Without fresh US orders, many shop floors are, for the first time, working below capacity at this time of year. To contractual workers - unskilled hands like loaders, washers and lifters who are at the bottom of the chain - the tell tale signs have been visible for weeks. May-Sept is when unskilled workers like Bharat Prajapati get jobs, but this year, he could not find one. "I had to get a construction job," he said on Wednesday.
Labour Laws
S. Korea: Landmark labour law strengthens rights for precarious workers & limits corporate damage claims against unions
South Korea has passed the landmark “Yellow Envelope Law”, reforming the Trade Union and Labour Relations Adjustment Act and expanding protections for indirect, subcontracted and precarious workers. The law broadens the definition of “employer” to include anyone who exercises substantial control over workers’ conditions, enabling subcontracted and indirectly employed workers to engage in collective bargaining with principal employers. It also clarifies trade union recognition for organisations that include some non-workers, such as platform or gig economy workers, and expands the definition of labour disputes to cover restructuring, closures, and mass layoffs.
Job Losses
When jobs come at the cost of lives
When an industry’s survival depends on society’s suffering, does the jobs argument hold any moral weight? Real Money Gaming platforms create jobs by creating problems—specifically, addiction and financial ruin among users.