2020 ITUC Global Right Index: India Among 10 Worst Countries for Working People; Check Full List
As per the report, in 2020, the Indian police used disproportionate violence against workers protesting to call for the payment of due wages and better working conditions. Thousands of workers were detained for exercising their right to strike.
New Delhi, December 31: According to the ITUC Global Right Index 2020, India lies among the top 10 worst countries in the world for working people. A new entrant, India ranks at fifth position in the seventh edition of the annual index published by the International Trade Union Confederation. Brutal repression of labour unions' strike, massive dismissals without prior intimation and regression labour laws catapulted India's entry to the index.
As per the report, in 2020, the Indian police used disproportionate violence against workers protesting to call for the payment of due wages and better working conditions. Thousands of workers were detained for exercising their right to strike. Labour Laws Changed: Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, Industrial Relations Code & Code on Social Security 2020 Passed in Rajya Sabha Today; Know What This Means.
The report also suggests that the current labour condition is going to further worsen with the central government adopting a range of flexible labour market practices that reduce protections for workers in the informal economy. It suggests that these measures weaken and undermine the labour unions and remove the regulatory burden on the business.
Centre is engaging in practices that prefer worker's committee over the labour unions and turning a blind eye to employers who engage in anti-union practices including failing to recognise and negotiate with representative trade unions, the ITUC report added. Yogi Adityanath Govt Suspends Major Labour Laws in UP for 3 Years in Attempt to Help Both Existing and New Industrial Units in State.
Talking about unfair treatment of the workers by the police, the report mentions that on 10 October 2019, thousands of contract workers from the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) were arrested in nine regions across the state. Over 10,000 contract workers in TANGEDCO had been protesting for their status to be regularised.
It cites another incident from Telangana , where the state government 48,000 employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) after they launched an indefinite strike demanding better retirement conditions, a revision of their salaries and fresh recruitment to reduce the workload on employees in October 2019.
10 Worst Countries for Working People as per 2020 ITCU Global Right Index:
In 2020, Bangladesh topped the list of worst countries in the world for working people. Followed by Honduras and the Philippines at second and third position respectively. South America's Brazil is at forth position. India at fifth. Turkey and Columbia occupies the sixth and seventh spots respectively. Followed by Kazakhstan. Zimbabwe holds the ninth position. Egypt ranks tenth and last in the list 10 worst countries for working people.
The ITUC Global Rights Index depicts the world’s worst countries for workers by rating 144 countries on a scale from 1-5+ based on the degree of respect for workers’ rights with 1 being the best rating and 5+ the worst rating. Violations are recorded each year from April to March.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2020 12:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).