Employment Policy and Labour Welfare in India

As with other developing countries, unemployment is a serious problem for India's economy. The expansion of employment opportunities has been an important objective of development planning. Although there has been a significant growth in employment, a relatively higher growth of the population has led to an increase in the volume of the unemployed during successive Five Year Plans. Workers in the unorganized (or informal) sector constitute more than 93% of the total workforce of India. Unorganized sector workers are those who do not have any job security, income security, or social security and are therefore extremely vulnerable. Agricultural workers constitute by far the largest segment in the unorganized sector. High rates of migration, because of the seasonality of operations and lack of stability of employment, subject agricultural workers to all sorts of hazards and exploitation. Other issues also exist. With society being male-dominated, female laborers receive very poor recognition or value in India. The problems of child laborers are more complex. This book provides a comprehensive account of employment and labor related policies and issues in India. It covers the following areas: demographic trends, unemployment estimates, employment policies and programs, labor laws, social security, unorganized sector workers, agricultural workers and forced/bonded laborers, women workers, child labor, industrial sickness, industrial relations and Indian labor in relation to the International Labor Organization, the World Trade Organization, and globalization.