When labour laws fail: The rising anger of India’s workers

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ* 

The latest issue (dated 25 April 2026) of the popular magazine Frontline carries an incisive article titled, “What Noida’s Worker Strikes Tell Us About the Labour Codes’ Broken Promise.” Written by T.K. Rajalakshmi, the summary states: “The protests by industrial workers across the National Capital Region and adjoining areas, and the violence and police repression that followed, are telling evidence that despite the hollow promises accompanying the new Labour Codes, little has changed on the ground.”

The opening paragraphs of the article say it all: “It was waiting to happen. Only the ‘when’ was not clear. The buildings in the industrial areas of the National Capital Region (NCR), with their glitzy interiors, could not camouflage the simmering anger of workers any longer. When what began as a small bubble of frustration took on the force of a volcanic eruption—fuelled by oppressive conditions imposed by hostile employers and abetted by compliant governments—nothing could contain it… Thus, in mid-April, workers poured out of their factories, striking work in the industrial area of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida) in Uttar Pradesh, fully aware of the reprisals and the heavy hand of the state that would follow. But it was a moment the workers truly owned, and no factory was left untouched… There was no coordinated action, no direct union involvement. Yet, it seemed almost magical. According to some official reports, workers across 82 factories went on strike, protesting against a 12-hour, seven-day work week and harsh, unsafe working conditions, all for a meagre monthly wage of Rs 11,000 to Rs 12,000.”

On 21 November 2025, the government began implementing the four Labour Codes—on Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions. Concerned citizens, trade unions, and opposition parties have labelled them “anti-worker,” arguing that they largely favour corporate interests. Among the most criticised provisions are the “hire and fire” policy, curbs on the right to strike, the expansion of Fixed-Term Employment (FTE), and diluted safety and welfare measures.

The manner in which Noida’s workers came out in droves to protest their grim reality is a case in point. The Uttar Pradesh government announced a 21 per cent wage hike, but many workers and unions have deemed it inadequate. The police have initiated legal action against those—reportedly several thousands—involved in the unrest. Predictably, much of the mainstream media failed to highlight the workers’ plight and protest. The condition of ordinary workers in India—particularly casual labourers and migrant workers—remains deeply troubling. Many are at the mercy of exploitative employers, denied just wages, and subjected to long working hours. Appointment letters are often absent, as are legally mandated service conditions. Trade unions have weakened considerably. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly exposed the vulnerability and misery of India’s working class.

The month of May begins with International Workers’ Day—a time to honour the global workforce, promote labour rights, and resist exploitation. The Catholic Church has consistently championed the cause of workers. On 15 May 1891, Pope Leo XIII issued his landmark encyclical Rerum Novarum (“Of New Things”), widely regarded as the foundation of modern Catholic Social Teaching. Addressing the plight of workers during the Industrial Revolution, it affirmed the dignity of labour, the right to form unions, and the necessity of just wages, while also defending private property and rejecting both socialism and unrestrained capitalism.

In his encyclical Laborem Exercens (“On Human Work”), dated 14 September 1981, Pope John Paul II wrote: “The Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help guide social changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.” Later, on 1 May 1991, he promulgated Centesimus Annus (“The Hundredth Year”) to mark the centenary of Rerum Novarum, reiterating its core vision and addressing contemporary questions of social and economic justice, including the defence of private property and the right to form associations, particularly labour unions.

In keeping with the significance of the day, the Catholic Church celebrates it as the Feast of St Joseph the Worker. Established in 1955 by Pope Pius XII, it honours Joseph as the patron of workers and affirms the dignity of human labour.

A year ago, on 8 May, Pope Leo XIV was elected to succeed Pope Francis and assumed office on 18 May. Explaining his choice of name, he said: “I chose the name Leo XIV for several reasons, but chiefly because Pope Leo XIII, in his historic encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice, and labour.”

The Catholic Church has remained steadfast in defending the rights of workers and advocating a more dignified, just, and humane life. Cardinal Joseph Cardijn (1882–1967), founder of the Young Christian Workers movement, worked tirelessly to highlight workers’ struggles and to embed the teachings of Rerum Novarum in the life and mission of the Church. Pope Leo XIII himself stated unequivocally in Rerum Novarum: “We must save unfortunate working people from the cruelty of men of greed, who use human beings as mere instruments for money-making. It is neither just nor humane to grind men down with excessive labour.”

The pressing question remains: is anyone listening? Workers must unite. We must heed their cry for justice. All of us are called to stand in solidarity with workers—to ensure fair wages, humane working conditions, reasonable hours, and above all, a life of dignity.

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*Human rights, reconciliation and peace activist, writer