Exporting Workers
Saudi Arabia implements stricter work visa rules for overseas workers from January 14
NEW DELHI: Six months after proposing the idea, Saudi Arabia has issued a circular requiring the pre-verification of professional and academic qualifications of Indian workers for all work visa applications from January 14. This move could reduce the influx of Indian workers due to the limited number of qualified training centres to ensure quality control of Indian workers. Indians are the second-largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia with 2.4 million workers, second only to Bangladesh’s 2.69 million expat workers. The move is part of the country’s efforts to employ more of its own nationals in the workforce.
Amid H1B visa debate some Indians lose jobs
HYDERABAD: Indian professionals are facing heat in the wake of a raging debate over H-1B visa reforms in the US. TOI spoke to eight professionals in the US and in Hyderabad and at least three had their job offers abruptly revoked due to "visa-related concerns".
Farm News
Punjab: 111 Farmers Join Jagjit Singh Dallewal in Indefinite Hunger Strike For MSP Guarantee
The 111 farmers belong to Dallewal’s SKM (non-political) forum, which has been leading the current farmers' protests for close to a year now.
Cauli-curse: Cauliflowers turn cattle fodder as wholesale price plunge hits farmers
Several other farmers too said they had decided not to sell their cauliflowers because the cost of hiring a mini-truck to ferry them to the wholesale markets would be higher than the selling price
Labour Demands
Govt, union spar over rights of domestic workers
Bengaluru: A meeting between the Labour Department and the Domestic Workers Rights Union on Friday witnessed uproarious scenes as both sides failed to reach a consensus regarding enforcing minimum wages for domestic workers. The meeting was called to discuss enforcing a monthly minimum wage of Rs 19,517 for every domestic worker who works 8 hours a day for 6 days a week. Talks began amicably with Labour Minister Santosh Lad assuring the union that they would endeavour to increase the 1 lakh death and accident compensation (introduced during his tenure) to Rs 5 lakh within the remaining three-and-a-half-year tenure of the Congress government. Officials also noted that 3.11 lakh cards had been created for domestic workers under the unorganised sector welfare board.
Workers’ unions protest outside West Bengal BJP office demanding resumption of MGNREGA
Representatives of seven workers unions on Saturday (January 11, 2025) held protests outside the office of West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding resumption of 100 days work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) which has been suspended for over three years
Gig workers’ unions demand Karnataka govt. pass welfare law instead of waiting for Centre to frame rules for Social Security Code
They say Centre is talking only about a social welfare scheme but the government must fix a minimum living wage applicable for all platform companies. Platform and gig workers’ unions and experts have demanded that the Karnataka government pass the The Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill at the earliest and not wait for the Central government to frame rules for the Code on Social Security (C)SS), 2020.
Employment News
S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research concludes placements with highest package of Rs 89 lakh; average at Rs 32 lakh.
Over 53% received offers above Rs 30 LPA. Consulting firms hired 40% of the batch. Top sectors included finance, tech, and FMCG. Twenty seven first-time recruiters participated.
India Inc likely to offer 9.4% salary increment this year
Amidst strong economic growth and an intensifying demand for skilled talent, India Inc may see a 9.4% overall salary increase across industries in 2025, according to the Total Remuneration Survey by Mercer, a business of Marsh McLennan. The automotive sector is set to lead with anticipated increments of 10%, up from 8.8%, driven by the surge in electric vehicles and government-led ‘Make in India’ initiatives, found the survey by Mercer.
Women in the Workforce
Homes with under-14 kids see fewer females in labour force
Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is lower in households with children under 14, especially in urban areas. The Periodic Labour Force Survey analysis highlights rising female LFPR in rural India since 2017-18, with married rural women showing higher participation growth. Government schemes have contributed to this increase.
India’s Working Week
Is 90 hours a week legal? Here’s what Indian labour laws say about working overtime
Despite India’s labour laws capping working hours at 48 per week, many employees, particularly in urban areas, often find themselves working overtime without adequate compensation. With the introduction of new labour codes and controversial comments from business leaders advocating for long work hours, the debate around work-life balance intensifies…In states where the Shops and Establishments Act applies, employees are entitled to overtime pay for hours worked beyond the weekly limit. For instance, in Maharashtra and Telangana, overtime pay is calculated at twice the regular wage for the extra hours worked. However, many white-collar employees are often excluded by these laws due to their roles or salaries.
We don’t need millionaires telling us to work harder. L&T’s Subrahmanyan is in wrong century
L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan will survive this controversy because this is India, where we have a ‘chalta-hai’ attitude. In the West, he would have been forced to apologise or resign.
News from States
12L govt jobs to be created in state by end of this year: CM
Patna: During the second day of the second phase of his Pragati Yatra in Samastipur on Monday, CM Nitish Kumar announced that 12 lakh govt jobs and work opportunities for 34 lakh people would be created by 2025. "Nine lakh govt jobs and 24 lakh work opportunities have already been achieved, he said.
Karnataka likely to raise minimum wage to Rs 20,000 per month
Bengaluru: In a major policy move expected to benefit around two crore workers in Karnataka, the state government is likely to increase minimum wages across organised and unorganised sectors. The move will catapult Karnataka to the top bracket of states paying the highest minimum wages.
Dying at Work
Express View on death of rat-hole miners: A recurring tragedy
Ten years after NGT ban, deaths in Assam's coal mines raise urgent questions about role of central, state governments. In the northeastern states, where the layers of coal are thin and rat-hole mining offers much higher wages than MGNREGA and other government-run schemes, this illegal activity gets a free run. This is especially so when the politician-bureaucracy nexus turns an unseeing eye.
Six-year-old query from Supreme Court on rat-hole mines remains unanswered
'Lives are lost due to illegal mining. What about the officials who allowed this to happen? It could not have been done without the connivance of the officials…’ Justice A.K. Sikri (now retired) had asked the Union and Meghalaya governments in a hearing in January 2019
Layoffs and Hirings
3,600 low performers to be replaced by new hires at Meta
5% of Meta’s 72,400-strong workforce is being laid off amidst focus on high performance. Zuckerberg wishes to ensure that the workforce retains and attracts only the best-quality talent. The usual practice has been to eliminate poor performers over a period of a year, but now the process is being speeded up. This is also a way to introduce new talent into the team and weed out the poor performers faster.
Election Issues
Delhi elections: Congress pledges Rs 8,500 for job-seeking youth under new scheme
The financial assistance will be provided under a scheme called the 'Yuva Udaan Yojana' and it is not free, AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot said at a press conference.
Profiles
Chunguna’s Gulabrani farms the organic way
An Adivasi woman farmer, Gulabrani started the organic revolution in her village in Panna district. “My family thought going organic was a good idea. We all thought that if we eat jaivik [organically grown] food, our health would also benefit. With jaivik fertilisers, the swasth [health] of the pests suffers, ours thrives!” she adds, enjoying her joke.
Reports
Future of Jobs: 170 million new jobs to be created by 2030, 92 million to get dated out
Farm workers and drivers will be among the fastest-growing jobs by 2030, while cashier and ticket clerk roles will decline significantly. The Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights technological advancements, demographic shifts, and economic pressures as key drivers. A significant skills gap exists, with an increased demand for technology and human skills.