Labour in Unorganised Sector: The Devalued and the Deprived

A vast majority of India’s work force, estimated at 93 per cent are un organised and consequently unprotected. They, together with their family members and those of marginal farmers and self employed workers, constituting nearly 95 percent of the country’s population, are victims of the prevailing economic system, which is responsible for denial to them an iota or even semblance of social justice in juxtaposition to natural justice. For them, the fulfilment of the post-Independence socialistic constitutional guarantees of equality of status and opportunity and right to live with human dignity coupled with promises of adequate means of livelihood and living wage, is no where in sight, even after lapse of half a century. No wonder, this large chunk of population languish below poverty line (BPL). Worst affected among the unorganised labour are those who under force of circumstances of abject poverty, migrate from their home states to seek casual employment in other states, where they are engaged as cheap labour to perform back-breaking manual work in inhuman conditions and in flagrant violation of legally prescribed working hours, overtime, rest days and wage payment. According to the author, this constitutes the main issue, if not the only issue, before the country, while all others with which the state and the society are presently engaged, are non-issues.