Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T19:17:04.931Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

17 - Reclaiming Democracy

The Challenge Facing Labor in India

from Part IV - Country and Regional Perspectives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2022

Angela B. Cornell
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
Mark Barenberg
Affiliation:
Columbia University, New York
Get access

Summary

The threat to democracy in India after the 2019 reelection of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister is unprecedented since the country’s independence. This chapter argues that Modi is not only an undemocratic leader, but that his authoritarian hardline Hindu supremacist methods of rule are also unambiguously anti-Labor. Unions face the monumental challenge of expanding their base to include the informal sector, contract labor, and the soaring ranks of the unemployed in the face of severe political and legal constraints. A deep transformation of union culture, institutional framework, and modes of operation are essential to reclaim democracy in twenty-first century India.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alam, Afroz. 2017. “‘Cow Economics’ Is Killing India’s Working Class.” Quartz India, June 23.Google Scholar
Anonymous. 2017. “India Tightens Meat Industry Laws Amid Fierce Protests.” The Guardian, May 30. www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/30/india-rocked-by-protests-meat-industry-tighter-lawsGoogle Scholar
Anonymous. 2020. “India’s Social Justice Agenda Is Unfulfilled as the Labor Market Remains Gendered, Classist, and Casteist.” Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) Engage, 20 February. www.epw.in/engage/article/indias-social-justice-agenda-unfulfilled-labourGoogle Scholar
Bardhan, P. 2019. “India Has Gone from False Hopes in 2014 to False Pride in 2019.” The Indian Express, June 15. https://indianexpress.com/artiGoogle Scholar
Bhardwaj, Mayank, and Mohanty, Suchitra. 2017. “India’s Top Court Suspends Ban on Trade in Cattle for Slaughter.” Reuters, July 11. www.reuters.com/article/us-india-politics-meat/indias-top-court-suspends-ban-on-trade-in-cattle-for-slaughter-idUSKBN19W0IHGoogle Scholar
Bhattacherjee, Debashish. 1999. “Organised Labour and Economic Liberalisation in India: Past, Present, and Future.” International Institute for Labor Studies Labor and Society Program Discussion Paper Series DP/105/1999. Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
Chakravarti, Uma. 2004. “Conceptualizing Brahminical Patriarchy in Early India: Gender, Caste, Class, and State.” In Class, Caste, Gender, edited by Mohanty, Manoranjan, 271295. New Delhi: Sage.Google Scholar
Chaudhry, Suparna, and Prasad, Shubha Kamala. 2020. “How India Plans to Put 1.3 Billion People on a Coronavirus Lockdown.” The Washington Post, March 20. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/30/how-india-plans-put-13-billion-people-coronavirus-lockdown/Google Scholar
Correspondent. 2020. “Sanitation Workers’ Union Demands Dedicated Quarantine Centers for Staff Members.” Hindustan Times, June 23. www.hindustantimes.com/cities/sanitation-workers-union-demands-dedicated-quarantine-centres-for-staff-members/story-WP9zRIxLf128dR8wB9COHP.htmlGoogle Scholar
Crump, James. 2020. “Indian Factory workers Protest after ‘H&M Cancels Orders’ Leaving 1,000 Jobless.” The Independent, June 24. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/hm-garment-workers-factory-india-jobs-a9579856.htmlGoogle Scholar
Das Gupta, Moushumi. 2020. “Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh Did Not Release a Rupee for Construction Workers during Lockdown.” The Print, June 23.Google Scholar
Deka, Kaushik. 2019. “Rationalisation at the Cost of Rights?” India Today, August 9. www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20190819-rationalisation-at-the-cost-of-rights-1578658-2019-08-09Google Scholar
Dhar, Biswajit, and Kumar, Ramaa Arun. 2020. “Can’t Justify Attack on Workers’ Rights.” The Hindu Businessline, May 21. www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/cant-justify-attack-on-workers-rights/article31634217.ece#Google Scholar
Dhillon, Amrit, and Harding, Luke. 2020. “Indian Towns and Cities Grind to Halt as Workers Stage 240 Hour Strike.” The Guardian, January 8. www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/08/india-towns-and-cities-grind-to-halt-as-workers-stage-24-hour-strikeGoogle Scholar
Fernandes, Sujatha. 2019. “How Mumbai’s Sanitation Workers Won Their Rights.” The Nation, March 5. www.thenation.com/article/archive/hmumbai-india-sanitation-workers-union-organizing/Google Scholar
Ferus-Comelo, Anibel, and Pöyhönen, Päivi. 2011. Phony Equality: Labor Standards of Mobile Phone Manufacturers in India. Finnwatch, Cividep, and SOMO.Google Scholar
Frayer, Lauren, and Pathak, Suchmita. 2020. “Coronavirus Lockdown Sends Migrant Workers on a Long and Risky Trip Home.” NPR. March 31. www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/31/822642382/coronavirus-lockdown-sends-migrant-workers-on-a-long-and-risky-trip-homeGoogle Scholar
Frenkel, Stephen, and Kuruvilla, Sarosh. 2002. “Logics of Action: Globalization, and Employment Relations Change in China, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 55, 3: 387412.Google Scholar
Gettleman, Jeffrey, and Kumar, Hari. 2019. “India’s Leader Is Accused of Hiding Unemployment Data before Vote.” The New York Times, January 31. www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/world/asia/india-unemployment-rate.htmlGoogle Scholar
Gowen, Annie. 2018. “Cows Are Sacred to India’s Hindu Majority. For Muslims Who Trade Cattle, That Means Growing Trouble.” The Washington Post, July 16. www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/cows-are-sacred-to-indias-hindu-majority-for-muslims-who-trade-cattle-that-means-growing-trouble/2018/07/15/9e4d7a50-591a-11e8-9889-07bcc1327f4b_story.htmlGoogle Scholar
Heijmans, Philip, Pradhan, Bibhudatta, and Bax, Pauline. 2020. “Locked in Cages, Beaten and Shamed: Virus Laws Lead to Abuses.” Bloomberg, April 1, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-02/locked-in-cages-beaten-and-shamed-virus-laws-lead-to-abusesGoogle Scholar
HRW. 2013. Claiming Rights: Domestic Workers’ Movements and Global Advances for Labor ReformNew YorkHuman Rights WatchGoogle Scholar
ICLR. 2013. Merchants of Menace: Repressing Workers in India’s New Industrial BeltNew YorkInternational Commission for Labor RightsGoogle Scholar
ILO. 2018. India Wage Report: Wage Policies for Decent Work and Inclusive GrowthInternational Labor Organizationwww.ilo.org/newdelhi/whatwedo/publications/WCMS_638305/lang--en/index.htmGoogle Scholar
ITUC. 2019a. 2019 Global Rights Index: The World’s Worst Countries for Workers. Brussels: The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/2019-06-ituc-global-rights-index-2019-report-en-2.pdfGoogle Scholar
ITUC. 2019b. “Don’t Bulldoze Workers’ Rights in India, Says Global Trade Union Movement.” www.ituc-csi.org/workers-rights-in-India-2019Google Scholar
ITUC. 2020. 2020 ITUC Global Rights Index: The World’s Worst Countries for Workers. Brussels: International Trade Union Confederation. www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/ituc_globalrightsindex_2020_en.pdfGoogle Scholar
Jha, Somesh. 2019. “Unemployment Rate at Four-Decade High of 6.1 percent in 2017–2018: NSSO Survey.” The Business Standard, February 6. www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/unemployment-rate-at-five-decade-high-of-6-1-in-2017-18-nsso-survey-119013100053_1.htmlGoogle Scholar
Kumari, Neha, and Krishna, Swati. 2020. “The Lions of ‘Make in India’ Companies Fire 15,000 Employees.” June 22. https://gaurilankeshnews.com/make-in-india-startup-companies-fires-15000-employees-lockdown-worsening-the-economyGoogle Scholar
Kuruvilla, Sarosh, Das, Subesh, Kwon, Hyunji, and Kwon, Soonwon. 2002. “Trade Union Growth and Decline in Asia.” British Journal of Industrial Relations 40, 3: 431461.Google Scholar
Lankesh, Gauri. 2020. “Ashok Leyland Fires 5800 Workers without Notice.” June 23. https://gaurilankeshnews.com/ashok-leyland-suddenly-fires-5800-workers-without-noticeGoogle Scholar
Liew, Shawn. 2020. “Violation of Workers’ Rights at Seven-Year High.” HRM Asia, June 23. https://hrmasia.com/violation-of-workers-rights-at-seven-year-highGoogle Scholar
Macleod, Alan. 2020. “In What May Be the Largest Strike in World History, Millions in India Protest PM Modi’s Policies.” The Portside, January 13. https://portside.org/2020-01-13/what-may-be-largest-strike-world-history-millions-india-protest-pm-modis-policiesGoogle Scholar
Pandey, Vikas. 2017. “‘You May As Well Kill Us’: Human Cost of India’s Meat Ban.” BBC News Daily, 30 March. www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39427552Google Scholar
PTI. 2020a. “Apparel Giant Raymond Fires More than 1000 Workers to Tide Over COVID-19 Woes.” The Indian Express, June 22. www.newindianexpress.com/business/2020/jun/22/apparel-giant-raymond-fires-more-than-1000-workers-to-tide-over-covid-19-woes-2159923.htmlGoogle Scholar
PTI. 2020b. “India Falls to 51st position in EIU’s Democracy Index.” The Economic Times, January 23. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/india-falls-to-51st-position-in-eius-democracy-index/articleshow/73519661.cmsGoogle Scholar
Pandey, Vikas. 2020c. “Trade Unions to Go on Strike on May 22 to Protest Against Labour Law Suspension.” Hindustan Times, May 15. www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/trade-unions-to-go-on-strike-on-may-22-to-protest-against-labour-laws-suspension/story-nwTLgMYycBlBBUSZYJ1vKP.htmlGoogle Scholar
Pandey, Vikas. 2020d. “Face Consequences If You Go on Strike: Government to Employees.” The Times of India, January 7. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/face-consequences-if-you-go-on-strike-government-to-employees/articleshow/73137102.cmsGoogle Scholar
Roy, Arundhati. 2020. Statement at Hum Dekhenge All India Convention of Writers and Artists Against CAA-NPR-NRC in Delhi, March 2. www.newsclick.in/There-is-Fire-in-the-Ducts-The-System-is-Failing-Delhi-RiotsGoogle Scholar
Sapkal, Rahul Suresh. 2020. “The Road to Modern Serfdom.” India Legal Live, May 23. www.indialegallive.com/top-news-of-the-day/the-road-to-modern-serfdom-100286Google Scholar
Sharma, Yogima Seth. 2019. “India Jumps to 63rd Position in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2020 Report.” Economic Times, October 24. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/india-jumps-to-63rd-position-in-world-banks-doing-business-2020-report/articleshow/71731589.cms?from=mdrGoogle Scholar
Srivastava, Roli. 2019. “India Passes ‘Historic’ Minimum Wage Law Amid Activist Worries.” Thomson Reuters Foundation Asia section, https://in.reuters.com/article/india-labour-lawmaking/india-passes-historic-minimum-wage-law-amid-activist-worries-idINKCN1UV1Y2Google Scholar
UN. 2016. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, A/71/385. Geneva: United Nations.Google Scholar
USCIRF. 2020. Annual report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/USCIRF%202020%20Annual%20Report_Final_42920.pdfGoogle Scholar
Vikram, Kumar. 2020. “Just 23 percent of Trainees Got Jobs under Skill India Mission Since 2015.” New Indian Express, June 8. www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/jun/08/just-23-per-cent-of-trainees-got-jobs-under-skill-india-mission-since-2015-2153636.htmlGoogle Scholar
Wilson, Audrey. 2020. “Uneasy Calm in Delhi after Days of Riots.” Foreign Policy, February 27. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/27/uneasy-calm-delhi-days-riots-religious-violence-citizenship-law-modi-bjpGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×