Working Class

The growth of the ‘gig’ economy and ‘gig workers’ in India is a phenomenon of the last decade or so. Names like Swiggy, Zomato, Ola, Uber or Urban Company and Amazon are among the many companies that have come in to provide ‘services’ and ‘employment’ in the form of ‘gigs’. Some of these are off-shoots of international companies, while others are Indian. Over the past two years there have been reports of gig workers demonstrating against their work conditions.

A report on workers in 'Gig' Economy.

The growth of the ‘gig’ economy and ‘gig workers’ in India is a phenomenon of the last
decade or so. Even though this may not be the fastest growing category of workers, still
names like Swiggy, Zomato, Ola, Uber or Urban Company and Amazon are among the many
companies that have come in to provide ‘services’ and ‘employment’ in the form of ‘gigs’.
Some of these are off-shoots of international companies, while others are Indian.

आज़ादी की 75वीं वर्षगाँठ र्ष पर देश के मज़दरूों के लिए आज़ादी के बाद लगभग पहली बार कई ज़रूरी श्रम क़ाननू जसै े, इंडस्ट्रीयल डिस्प्यट्ूस अधिनियम (1947), फ़ैक्ट्रीज़ अधिनियम (1948), आदि का सरुक्षा कवच उपलब्ध नहीं होगा। इनमें सेकुछ क़ाननू तो भारत की आज़ादी के साथ लाए गए थेऔर मलू रूप सेइनका उद्देश्य मज़दरूों के अधिकारों और आज़ादी को सनिु श्चित करना था। 2019-20 मेंइन सभी क़ाननू ों को हटाकर चार नई संहिताएँलाईं गईं – (1) मज़दरूी संहिता, (2) औद्योगिक सम्बंध संहिता, (3) सामाजिक सरुक्षा संहिता, (4) व्यवसायगत सरुक्षा, स्वास्थ्य और कार्य स्थितियांसंहिता.

The 75th Independence Day of India is practically the first for workers in the country without the official protection of crucial labour laws, like the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Factories Act, 1948 among others. Some of these laws are as old as the country’s independence itself, and all of them, in principle, aimed to safeguard workers’ basic rights and the condition of their freedom.

The 75th Independence Day of India is practically the first for workers in the country without the
official protection of crucial labour laws, like the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Factories
Act, 1948 among others. Some of these laws are as old as the country’s independence itself, and
all of them, in principle, aimed to safeguard workers’ basic rights and the condition of their
freedom. Over the course of 2019-20, these have now been replaced by four new Labour Codes:

PUDR strongly condemns the custodial torture of young dalit labour activist Shiv Kumar working in the Kundli Industrial Area by Haryana police. Shiv Kumar was arrested under 3 FIRs (no. 649 of 28/12/20 and nos. 25 and 26 of 12/1/21, Kundli PS) against workers who were protesting to demand their pending wages in Kundli Industrial Area, Haryana.

PUDR strongly condemns the arrest of Bengaluru based Disha Ravi, a twenty-two-year-old environmental and climate change activist on 13^th February in the ‘toolkit’ conspiracy case for which she has been charged with sedition, criminal conspiracy and for promoting hatred. She was produced before a Metropolitan Magistrate in Patiala House on Sunday, 14^th February and remanded to five days of police custody.

करोना वाइरस से बचने के लिए देश भर में लगाए गए लाक्डाउन के बावजूद भी आनंद विहार बस अड्डे, दिल्ली बॉर्डर और यमुना ऐक्स्प्रेस्वे पर पैदल चलते मज़दूरों की तादाद कम नहीं हो रही है। इस संदर्भ में केंद्रीय सरकार, दिल्ली सरकार और सोलिसिटर जेनरल के बयानों और आदेशों को देखें:

PUDR today released its report on deaths of workers in Delhi while cleaning sewers/septic tanks over the last two years, titled “Chronic ‘Accidents’: Deaths of Sewer/Septic Tank Workers, Delhi, 2017-2019.” The release marks the occasion of the declared ‘target’ year for the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan (campaign) on 2 October 2019, coinciding with the 150^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and completion of five years of