The indignity of labour laws

Suspending the entire labour law as some states have tried is not sustainable

The plight of migrant labour amidst the Covid-19 pandemic has shocked India. And while there is a clamour for cash transfers and other forms of short-term assistance, there is little outcry on the root cause of their suffering: the regime of labour laws. That these laws have created an ecosystem, in which 80 million (could well be more) of the most vulnerable workers in the economy are left destitute in a time of crisis is the most searing indictment there can be. The issue of labour laws must no longer be viewed in the context of attracting investment and ease