The center has agreed to hold talks with trade unions. The unions are demanding rolling back of the Unified Pension Scheme , future of the four labor codes, Agnipath and Employment Linked Incentive Scheme.
Unsanitary, uncertain, unpleasant
Working in sewers, unpaid leave, unavailability of crèche facilities lead to multiple cases of children falling in bore-wells or being taken away by wild animals, no relaxation or washroom facilities for menstruating women, verbal and mental abuse, ignorance of transportation, and storage cost of perishable goods, area few among many issues faced by the informal sector.
Trade/Labor unions exist to act as a pressure group/lobby and call attention to plight of workers and demands wages, facilities, respect, and representation.
Trade unions and demands
Apart from the aforementioned demands, the unions have also asked the government to hold the Indian Labor Conference and scrap the Agnipath scheme and restore the regular recruitment process. Let us look at the issues:
| Code on Wages | Unclear formula for fixing wages |
| Code on Industrial Relations | Hurts firms having less than 300 workers |
| Code on Social Security | No mechanism for employers’ compliance |
| Code on Occupational Safety | No temporary accommodation provision |
| New Pension Scheme | Tax disadvantages and low liquidity |
The plight of formal and informal sectors is seen every day. However, the daily wagers bear the worst of it due to stigma and meager earning.
Course of action
One single set of laws will not address every issue. However, law should be formulated to include a width of problems, while negotiating demands and realities with the representatives.
Marginalized and deprived of basic human rights, the informal sector contributes heavily to India’s consumer market. It is high time that the government, through dialogue and action, addresses the basic human and economic rights of these workers.
Also read, https://test.inpactimes.com/eighth-penalty-since-2023-aviation-sector-in-mud/
