Migrant Realities
Hundreds of Tamil Nadu fishermen are stuck in Iran – many of them on their boats
They migrated for better pay and opportunities. Now, their families are desperate to bring them home, even at prohibitive costs.
Unions navigate a changing plantation workforce in Kerala
As Idukki’s tea plantations witness a demographic shift from Tamil migrants to workers from states like Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, trade unions act as bridgemakers through mediation, negotiation and conciliation In the Peerumedu taluk’s tea estates, the newer migrants are mainly from these states.. They are filling the labour shortage left as some workers return to their native place, and new Tamil migrants seek more white-collar jobs.
Tractor makers bet on returning migrant workers to drive up sales
Reverse migration, driven by geopolitical tensions, is boosting India's tractor industry. Returning migrant workers are investing in tractors and equipment, fuelled by easy NBFC financing and record farm incomes. This trend, observed during Covid, is expected to drive significant growth in tractor sales, with industry leaders anticipating a 22-24% increase.
Employment News
Steel plant to create 1 lakh jobs
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India has started work on a huge new steel plant in Andhra Pradesh, with an investment of Rs 70,000 crore. This project is one of the largest of its kind in India and will bring big changes to the local economy. The plant, designed to produce 8.2 million tonnes of steel every year, is expected to create around one lakh jobs, both directly and indirectly.
Vedanta expands transgender workforce to 75 employees across businesses
Vedanta has strengthened its focus on workforce inclusion, with 75 transgender employees now working across its various business verticals. The hiring push, which began in 2022, reflects a structured effort to integrate diversity into core operations rather than limit it to symbolic representation… Employees are engaged across a wide range of functions such as operations, finance, logistics, HR, healthcare, and security, indicating deeper workforce integration across technical and corporate roles.
India's Labour Economy
86 per cent in India report workplace disruptions, above global levels
NEW DELHI: India’s workforce is facing a sharper disruption than the rest of the world’s — but is also adapting faster, with 86% reporting major workplace changes in the past year, far above global levels, and 89% actively building new skills to stay relevant. the 2026 Human Progress Report by ETS (Educational Testing Service) flags a defining shift.
Do the Labour Codes Work for the Indian Economy?
PODCAST: If you have been asking questions about what these labour codes mean for the economy, how much of the working population the codes actually cover, and what the labour codes mean for India’s larger developmental agenda, this conversation is for you. We speak with Dr. Santosh Mehrotra, a renowned development economist, on some of the contemporary history surrounding the call to reform our labour laws.
Labour Demands
1,155 days under a protest tent
Since 2023, a protest in Kolkata by the West Bengal government employees has turned into one of the State’s longest running demonstrations. Protesters have been demanding arrears for a 11-year period on a salary component that adjusts salaries for inflation. They also want the Dearness Allowance to be on a par with Central government employees.
Wage Revision
Suspense on rural job scheme: Between old & new laws, fate of hike-starved workers hangs in balance
In a break with the norm, the Centre has not revised the wage rates under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for 2026-27, raising concern over the continuation of the 100-day rural job scheme till the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) comes into force.
A missed opportunity to guarantee minimum wages
There has been a lively debate in the last few months about the respective merits of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, or VB-G RAM G Act for short. Absent from this debate, however, is a critical issue that haunts both Acts: wage rates. The VB-G RAM G Act is a missed opportunity to correct serious anomalies in the determination of wage rates for MGNREGA workers.
Labour scarcity: builders mostly have themselves to blame for it.
Businesses should pay workers better wages instead of blaming the country’s welfare apparatus.
News from States
Census 2027: Officials To Trek On Ridges, Passes To Track Dhoks, Nomads In JK And Ladakh
Srinagar: In the two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, trekking on the ridges and passes will be a tough mission for those engaged in Census 2027. Enumerators will dive deep into these sparsely populated and remotest villages inhabited largely by nomadic tribals and shepherds who migrate to alpine pastures for grazing their livestock. Hundreds of tribals (Bakerwals) shift to the mountains and alpine pastures in May with their livestock and take shelter in Dhoks (mud huts) and makeshift tents.
Women’s workforce participation in UP sees sharp rise over nine years
Uttar Pradesh has recorded a significant increase in women’s participation in the workforce over the past nine years, reflecting a broader shift in social and economic dynamics. The share of working women in the state has grown from nearly 12 per cent in 2017 to over 36 per cent today. This threefold rise is being linked to improvements in safety, infrastructure, and targeted policy interventions.
No govt job through employment offices in five years in Rajasthan; 22 lakh candidates registered, says RTI
The data, provided by the Directorate of Employment, shows that as of January 14, a total of 22,21,317 candidates were registered as job seekers in district employment offices across the State; of these, over 13.08 lakh were male, 9.12 lakh female, and 989 fell under the 'other' category. It was further revealed that no candidate was recruited in the government sector through the employment offices in the past five years.
Media Workers
ProPublica’s union authorizes the first U.S. newsroom strike over AI protections
On March 20, members of the ProPublica Guild, one of the largest nonprofit newsroom unions in the U.S., overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike. Out of the roughly 150 journalists, copyeditors, videographers and other newsroom workers in the Guild, 92% of members voted to walk off the job if ProPublica doesn’t agree to their contract terms in the coming weeks. The Guild’s vote marks the first time a major U.S. newsroom has authorized a strike, at least in part, over AI protections.
Layoffs and Hirings
Oracle layoffs hit India hard, leaving thousands jobless overnight
Oracle has reportedly carried out one of the biggest job cuts in recent times, with around 30,000 employees affected worldwide. India has taken the brunt of the blow, with nearly 12,000 workers losing their jobs. Many employees say they were caught off-guard, receiving sudden emails in the early morning hours—some as early as 5 or 6 am—telling them their positions were gone immediately.
No layoffs, they trusted us: Dubai’s Rizwan Sajan stands by 6,000 workers amid crisis
The founder and chairman of Danube Group posted on Instagram a statement that has been winning hearts. “In good times, everyone talks about growth. But in difficult times, your values are tested,” Sajan wrote. “Our 6,000+ employees have trusted us, worked with us, and built Danube Group brick by brick. Today, it’s my responsibility to stand by them. I’m proud to say that there will be No Layoffs in Danube Group and all salaries will continue to be paid on time.”
Job Losses
‘What’s next for us?’: Over 1,000 Jewar workers fear job losses as Noida International Airport phase 1 work winds down
Many local youths who worked for contractors engaged with the airport project, fear the good days are coming to an end for them as work on the first phase of the airport begins to wrap up.
Jobseekers
AI, online gig help students abroad beat rising living cost amid falling rupee
New Delhi: Indian students abroad are adopting new ways for a side hustle to make ends meet, as living costs increase while the rupee's free fall erodes the financial backing from home. The traditional model of part-time work in cafes, retail stores and restaurants is giving way to online gigs, such as tutoring, design, coding, social media management, content writing, video and podcast editing, and paid research or student-support assignments within universities, said study abroad experts.
Study, wait, repeat: The harsh reality of India’s jobless graduates
Imagine spending the best years of your life from age 22 to 29, in a waiting room. You are educated, ambitious, and capable. But the job you are waiting for has odds worse than a lottery. So, you study harder, make another attempt, and wait again. Meanwhile, your peers are earning, saving, climbing career ladders, getting married, and starting families. You are doing none of that. You are preparing for the next exam.