HRLN - A Profile - Human Rights Law Network

Labour RightsNearly 700 million Indians live at incomes below the povertyline, defined as a calorie intake of 2400 k calories per capitaper day. Only a minuscule fraction of the workforce is organised,most of which is in urban areas, leaving the rest of the workingclass vulnerable to blatant exploitation. As a result, closures andjob losses, sub-minimum wages, bonded and slave labour,contract labour, discrimination against women and thesiphoning away of money from the workers' funds characterizeIndian labour.Although Indian labour laws are amongst the best inthe world, their implementation is tardy and incompleteand frustrated by corruption. Over the last five years,under the impact of globalisation, privatisation andstructural adjustment, the situation is furtherdeteriorating. Despite stiff opposition from tradeunions, the government has succeeded in making majorinroads into workers' rights.Employers seem to believe that India ought tocompletely dismantle its system of legal protection andrevert to a sweatshop situation. As a result, closures andjob losses, sub-minimum wages, bonded and slave labour,contract labour, discrimination against women, lack ofhealth and safety law enforcement, and the non-paymentof workers characterises the Indian labour scene.HRLN's work has its roots in the trade union strugglein Mumbai and the primary legal intervention was inthe area of worker's rights.Legal Aid & Public Interest LitigationOur work includes a large number of cases forunorganised labour, particularly contract labour. Themain beneficiaries of such litigation are sweepers,canteen workers and security guards.Following intervention by HRLN, the Court has34