On May Day, a workforce in India without a floor

UPSC Syllabus: Gs Paper 2 – mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Introduction

May Day 2026 reflects not a celebration but a diagnosis of Indian labour conditions. A large protest by garment workers in Noida over wages and a fatal boiler accident in a thermal plant in Chhattisgarh expose two linked realities. Workers struggle to earn a living wage and face unsafe workplaces. These events reveal a deeper structural issue in the labour framework, raising a critical question about what recent labour reforms have actually delivered for workers.

Major Concerns Related to Indian Labour

1. Absence of a living wage: Workers demanded ₹22,000, but wages were fixed at ₹13,690, which is not enough to meet basic expenses like rent, fuel, and education.
2. Wage disparity across regions: Workers in Noida earned around ₹435 per day, while similar workers in Haryana received higher wages after a 35% increase for the same work.
3. Rising industrial fatalities and unsafe conditions: India recorded 3,331 factory deaths between 2018–2020 and over 400 deaths in 2024, showing unsafe workplaces.
4. Weak accountability and enforcement: Only 14 imprisonments occurred despite thousands of deaths, and poor enforcement allows safety violations to continue.
5. Negligence in safety systems: Investigations found excessive fuel buildup, poor maintenance, and lack of basic safety measures like alarms and sensors.
6. Vulnerability and rise of contract labour: Most victims were contract workers, and increasing contractualisation reduces job security and employer responsibility.
7. Exclusion of small units from regulation: Many small factories fall outside legal safety coverage due to higher thresholds, even though they are high-risk workplaces.
8. Weak inspection and compliance system: Self-certification and digital inspection reduce independent checks and weaken monitoring.
9. Limited collective bargaining and institutional dialogue: Strict strike rules and absence of the Indian Labour Conference since 2015 reduce worker participation.
10. Common root of wage and safety crisis: Wage stagnation and unsafe working conditions are outcomes of the same labour framework.

Government Initiatives

1. Consolidation of labour laws: Four labour codes replaced 29 central labour laws on November 21, 2025, without any transition period.
2. Change in retrenchment rules: The threshold for prior government approval increased from 100 to 300 workers, allowing firms to retrench workers more easily.
3. Narrowing definition of factory: Units with fewer than 20 workers with power and 40 workers without power are excluded from safety regulations.
4. Reform in inspection system: The Inspector-cum-Facilitator model and use of self-certification reduce direct enforcement.
5. Restrictions on strikes: A 60-day notice requirement and ban on sudden strikes limit workers’ ability to protest.
6. Shift towards employer flexibility: The overall framework reduces labour protection and increases ease for employers.

Way Forward

1. Ensure a living wage system: Wages must reflect real living costs, including housing, fuel, and education.
2. Strengthen safety enforcement: Regular and independent inspections should be ensured to prevent accidents.
3. Expand coverage of labour laws: Small and informal units must be included under safety and labour regulations.
4. Improve accountability mechanisms: Strict action should be taken against negligence in industrial accidents.
5. Protect contract workers: Clear responsibility must be fixed for their safety, wages, and working conditions.
6. Restore institutional dialogue: Regular meetings of tripartite bodies should be held to include worker voices.
7. Balance reform and protection: Labour reforms should protect workers while supporting economic growth.

Conclusion

A labour system must ensure that workers can earn enough to live and remain safe at work. Present conditions fail on both counts. Wage gaps persist, and safety failures continue despite legal reforms. The current framework has shifted from protection to flexibility, weakening enforcement and coverage. As a result, workers lack a basic floor of economic and physical security, which was the primary purpose of labour regulation.

Question for practice:

Examine how recent labour reforms in India have affected workers’ wages, safety conditions, and overall security, in light of recent labour unrest and industrial accidents.

Source: The Hindu