Skip to main content

Govt of India labour reforms would make unorganized workers "more vulnerable"

By Manohar Chauhan
A senior women's rights leader, Parilata Mohapatra of the Swarozgari Mahila Sangh, Odisha, has expressed concern that though 94% of the domestic workers in the state work in the un-orgainsed sector only 6% work in the organized sector, the Government of India (GoI) decision for coming up with new labour codes, repealing 44 labour laws, would make them even more vulnerable.
Addressing media in Bhubaneswar, called to seek incorporation of the un-organized workers' and transgenders' demands in political part manifestos during the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections, Mohapatra said, the social security code brought brought in by the GoI wwould nullify whatever little protection they have been getting from the Welfare Board for the Un-organised Workers.
She demanded that all the domestic workers should be recognized as labourers, and registered under the Welfare Board of Un-organised Sector Workers of 2008 Act, even as seeking a separate welfare board for domestic workers, where they should be registered obligatorily.
They should have fixed working hours, paid minimum wages, have decent working conditions, viable social security system and a grievance redresses mechanism, she demanded, adding, they should be paid Rs 3000 as pension on reaching 60.
Manjula Manjari Mishra, general secretary of the Rajdhani Shramik Shangha, talking on various of issues of construction workers, said, the Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare (BOCWW) Act was enacted by the GoI in 1996, but its rules were formed in Odisha in 2002. She regretted that the BOCWW Act began being implemented in the state in 2004 and the registration of the workers formally began only in 2009, causing delay of almost 13 years.
Mishra demanded full implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on construction workers, de-merger of the BOCWW Act from the proposed labour codes, which resulted in the stoppage of benefits to lakhs of construction workers across India, registration of all construction workers with the involvement of NGOs, collection of cess up to 3%, including from private sectors, inclusion of model schemes framed by the Directorate General Labour Welfare (DGLW) and provision of medical benefits through the Employees' State Insurance (ESI).
She also sought social audit of implementation of the BOCWW Act, special schemes for women informal workers under the Construction Workers' Welfare Board, enhancement of minimum wages of unskilled, skilled and highly skilled informal workers, a separate welfare board for informal workers engaged in seasonal Kendu leaf and Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) collection etc.”
Aisa Behera, Rani Kinner and Madhuri Maa, members of the All-Odisha Kinner Mahasagha, appraising the media on the problems being faced by the transgender (TG) community in the state, demanded for wider publicity of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2016.
They also sought implementation of the National Legal Services Authority judgment, which recognised the TG right to have an independent and separate households, insisting they should be covered under all social security schemes, including homestead land, food security schemes and entitlements in both urban and rural areas. They also demanded a TG welfare board in the state, reservation for TG in both government and private jobs.
They further wanted the government to provide skill development trainings and loans for private business, regularization of gender specific education services, i.e., separate wards/beds for TG members in government and private hospitals in rural and urban spaces, free access to sex reassignment surgery in government and private hospitals, priority on incorporation of TG issues in academic syllabuses and inclusion of TG as one of the categories of gender in election nomination forms.
Talking on the rights of migrant workers of the state, leaders demanded complete abolition of the Dadan labour system in Odisha within five years and advocated for safe migration.
They also demanded constitution of a separate state welfare board for millions Odia inter-state informal migrant workers of Odisha, Odisha Prabasi Shramika Kalyan Board, a multipurpose skill centre to enhance the skill needs of informal and migrant workers in high migration prone districts of Odisha, and asked the government to draw a long-term plan to mitigate climate change-related distress migration of people in drought prone, hilly and coastal regions of the state.

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.