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Dilution of Labor rights and laws The COVID-19 led to a sudden shut-down of all economic activity, making daily wage earners particularly vulnerable and helpless. The move also affected businesses leading to pay cuts, loss of jobs as well as affecting ability of businesses to keep paying wages to their workers. Although the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had directed all private establishments to pay full wages to their workers despite the lockdown and business being shut, the same was eventually revoked. The matter reached the Supreme Court (SC) where the matter was left to be decided by employers in dialogues with the workers. One is yet to see any outcome of these deliberations, leaving millions of persons living on monthly and daily wages in despair and no protection.
activity, the regime in power in the Centre used this opportunity to goad regional (state governments) to erode and dilute those laws that protect health, safety and security of the working conditions of labor. The most common dilution of labor rights was the increase in the work hours per day which was introduced by many states. Prominent Indian trade unions have written to the International Labor Organization (ILO) on the absence of any consultation or deliberations, making a mockery of the existence of a tripartite system of negotiations prevalent within the Indian system. The ILO in turn has written an advisory on this attack of fundamental freedoms by the government.2
That businesses of private establishments Legislative changes have been adversely affected during the lockdown, is not in doubt. Instead of Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s most stepping in with incentive packages that populous province currently ruled by a could protect and restore this economic hardline BJP government (since March
HUMAN RIGHTS IN INDIA - Status Report 2021 by IAMC
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