In Focus-Parley | Has a weakening of unionisation hurt workers?

This episode of In Focus by The Hindu examines the growing crisis of de-unionization in India, particularly in manufacturing, services, and agriculture sectors, amid rising worker protests over minimum wages and contractual labor. Experts Professor Kingshuk Sarkar and Mr. Fredike Tayath analyze how decades of liberalization, globalization, and economic reforms since 1991 have eroded trade union power. They highlight the shift from permanent to contract labor, the fragmentation of unions, and the weakening of collective bargaining mechanisms. The discussion reveals that despite strong central trade unions, unionization rates remain low—only 6.3% nationally—with even lower figures in the private sector. Both guests emphasize that the decline is not due to worker apathy but a systemic counter-offensive by capital, driven by outsourcing, privatization, and regressive labor codes. The episode underscores how the absence of functional labor boards, lack of enforcement of existing laws, and political suppression of union leaders have turned worker struggles into defensive survival fights. The hosts conclude that meaningful change requires not just reforming labor codes but rebuilding a democratic, inclusive labor movement rooted in worker solidarity and state accountability.