In the Courts
'Harsh Decisions Made By Employer Cannot Amount To Abetment Of Employee's Suicide Without Mens Rea' : Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court recently ruled that harsh decisions made by an employer in the course of employment cannot be considered actions amounting to incitement or abetment of an employee's suicide without the requisite mens rea (Criminal intent).
Courts Can't Direct Promotions Outside Established Rules And Seniority Framework: Madras HC
Madras High Court: The Court held that a Water Pump Operator's promotion to Sanitary Supervisor and subsequent reversion must be evaluated within the framework of the Tamil Nadu Town Panchayat Establishment Rules. Since the position of Water Pump Operator (that the petitioner undertakes) is not among the designated feeder posts (Public Health Workers, Sanitary Workers, or Scavengers) for promotion to Sanitary Maistry, the petitioner's initial promotion was irregular and the reversion was legally valid.
Principal Employer Can't Escape Liability Under EC Act By Claiming Workers Were Through Contractor: Bombay HC
Bombay High Court: A Single Judge Bench of Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh dismissed Air India Charters Ltd.'s appeal against compensation awarded to a deceased pilot's dependents. The Court held that under Section 12 of the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923, the principal employer bears primary liability for compensation even when workers are engaged through contractors.
News from States
2 migrant workers from UP injured in year's 6th targeted terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir
SRINAGAR: Two migrant workers from UP were wounded Friday in a suspected terrorist strike on a Jal Jeevan Mission project site at Mazhama in central Kashmir's Budgam district, making this the sixth targeted attack and the third after the new govt headed by Omar Abdullah assumed office on Oct 16.
Fake Teacher Scandal In Bihar: 24,000 Jobs At Risk Over Forged Documents
In a developing scandal within Bihar’s education system, authorities are raising alarms over the possible reinstatement of fake teachers, endangering the jobs of approximately 24,000 educators. This situation follows the recent counselling sessions held for 1.87 lakh candidates who passed a competency test, during which significant discrepancies emerged regarding the authenticity of teaching credentials.
Labour Demands
Workers' federation calls for higher compensation for building collapse victims
On Thursday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a compensation package of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased — Rs 3 lakh from the BBMP and Rs 2 lakh from the Labour Department (Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers' Board). Outraged by the death of eight construction workers in the Babusapalya building collapse on Tuesday, the Karnataka State Building and Other Construction Workers' Federation has urged the government to provide Rs 25 lakh compensation for each family of the deceased and Rs 10 lakh for the seriously injured.
Meeting called on Longview closure amid ongoing workers protest
The state labour department has convened a tripartite meeting to end the stalemate of Longview, a tea estate located around 25km in the Kurseong subdivision of Darjeeling district, on November 11. The tea estate has been closed since October 14 as the management has announced suspension of work while citing lawlessness in the garden.
JNU Sanitation Workers' Strike Enters Fifth Day Over Bonus, Working Conditions
New Delhi - The ongoing work boycott by sanitation workers at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has intensified as more than 250 workers across campus joined the strike, which entered its fifth day . The workers are demanding their statutory bonus, proper documentation of wages, and improved working conditions.
Policy Changes
Plan afoot to revise pension scheme for unorganised workers
The changes under consideration include extending the enrolment age to beyond the current limit of 40 years, enhancing the wage ceiling to more than Rs 15,000 and roping in the India Post Payments Bank and other financial institutions to do enrolments other than the common service centres, people aware of the deliberations told ET.
L-G nod to relaxation in educational qualification for jobs to ’84 riot victims
Delhi Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena on Friday approved relaxation in qualification for recruitment of victims of the 1984 riots to the post of multi-tasking staff (MTS), Raj Niwas officials said. The minimum educational qualification for the post of multi-tasking staff has been relaxed from Class X to Class VIII The decision, which was pending for decades due to procedural delays and red tape, will enable a larger pool of candidates to secure employment.
Women in the Workforce
Welcoming working conditions encouraging more Indian women seeking employment in Saudi Arabia: Official
Saudi Arabia is increasingly attractive to Indian women seeking jobs. Labour reforms and supportive measures create better working conditions. Indian workers play a crucial role in the labour market. Bilateral agreements with India aim to protect workers' rights. Complaints can be filed through the Musaned and Qiwa platforms. Female unemployment has significantly decreased.
The Saudi factories powered by women
A surge in female labour force participation has emerged as a bright spot for the kingdom
Meagre Wages
Explained: The paradox of stagnant rural wages
The Indian economy has grown at an average annual rate of 4.6% from 2019-20 to 2023-24, and 7.8% in the last three fiscal years (April-March) alone. The farm sector’s growth has averaged 4.2% and 3.6% for these respective periods. However… buoyant GDP numbers aren’t reflected in rural wages that have fallen in real inflation-adjusted terms, partly due to growth itself becoming less labour-intensive.
BACKGROUND: In Viksit Bharat, rural real wages are in decline
The litmus test of employment hinges on real wage rates, and we have seen from the government data that in rural areas, real wages have had negative growth in the last five years of the Modi-2 period. This needs urgent attention and further research to create more employment-intensive growth processes.
How Poverty Is Perpetuating Trafficking In Assam’s Tea Gardens
Low wages keep tea garden workers in a cycle of poverty, which is pushing children out of school, and leading to cases of trafficking and gender-based violence.
Election Issues
Quota, farmers in focus of new INDIA bloc promises
Ranchi: The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Tuesday released its manifesto for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly polls, pledging seven guarantees including a million job opportunities, a 1932 land record-based domicile policy, ₹2,500 for women and higher minimum support prices for farmers.
Maharashtra’s Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana | Bankers bruised by a populist promise
The Maharashtra government rolled out the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana in August 2024 and is counting on it to gather votes from women. Ever since the scheme was introduced and beneficiaries began thronging banks, there have been several attacks on public sector bank employees. Vinaya Deshpande Pandit reports on a scheme that has caused law and order problems and created fear among employees
Demand for Bankers’ Protection Act grows after The Hindu report
A day after The Hindu published a report on growing assaults on bankers in Maharashtra during the implementation of the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, a direct benefit transfer scheme, bankers from different parts of the country have sought the Finance Minister’s intervention to bring about a Bankers’ Protection Act and address the issue of staff shortage.
Employment News
Energy, automotive, banking sectors offer most of internships under PM scheme
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have the highest share of internships. Energy, automotive, banking and financial services and the travel and tourism sectors have the highest number of internships on offer for candidates registering under the PM internship scheme, according to data available from the ministry of corporate affairs.
India's diamond units take longer Diwali break, get workers worried
India's diamond industry, centered in Surat, is facing a month-long shutdown due to weak demand from the US and China. The prolonged closure, unprecedented even during past recessions, has sparked job cut fears among workers. Industry leaders hope for a US economic revival and are launching campaigns to regain Chinese customers who have shifted towards gold.
Dying at Work
Three workmen dead, one injured at bullet train project site in Gujarat
The incident happened when concrete blocks fell atop four workmen while sinking one of the wells at Mahi river in Anand district, thus trapping them.
Southern Railways terminates service of contractor after Kerala accident
According to the Railways, three persons died and one is still missing after the Thiruvananthapuram-bound Kerala Express hit the workers engaged in collecting garbage from the railway track by 3:05 pm on Saturday.
Tailpiece
Democrats keep forgetting the working class
As right-wing politicians scoop up the blue-collar vote, the left has its head in the sand. The Democrats have consistently failed to understand the reasons for working-class disaffection — let alone find remedies to offer them.
Analysis
Feminisation of Public Employment in India
Looking at the male-female ratio in public employment, it is seen that less than 12% of all regular employees in the public sector in urban areas were women in 1994. By 2022, this had increased to 28.1%. In rural areas, the share of women in regular public employment increased from about one in seven to one in three. Almost 70% of the women in regular public employment are in the feminised sectors of education, health, and social services, and an additional 18% in public administration. While men are also concentrated in these sectors, a much larger proportion (34%) is in public administration.
Battles Won
Boeing workers end 7-week strike on 38% pay rise deal
Boeing workers in the US have voted to accept the aviation giant's latest pay offer, ending a damaging seven-week-long walkout. Under the new contract, they will get a 38% pay rise over the next four years.