The world of work in contemporary India: The relevance of a critical lens

Abstract

Globalization has been normalized as a dominant ideology that extols the virtues of neoliberalism such as individualism, efficiency, competition and minimal state intervention through instruments of deregulation, liberalization and privatization. Transnational chains increasingly make markets, sets prices and determine the worldwide distribution of labour. This has radically altered the nature of work, the labour-capital relationship and the composition of the working class. Increasing transnationalization has contributed to a growing unevenness of labour standards and “a race to the bottom”, posing a significant challenge to trade unions. Thus, given this context of the neoliberal project, critical perspectives have greater relevance now as compared to earlier, with the need to focus on attaining a more equitable resource distribution. Critical perspectives on work and employment call into question the established social order and are particularly pertinent to India. The “Make in India” programme has become the cornerstone for India’s development plan. To achieve this, the Government of India has focused its efforts on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and facilitating the ease of doing business. However, the essential element of the “Make in India” vision is labour. Taking a critical view of these policy changes, it is clear that the “Make in India” programme is a low-road approach that seeks to revise labour laws and exempt industry from their ambit, resulting in the further informalization and precariousness of the Indian workforce. Terms such as “Make in India” and “Shramev Jayate” and issues related to the consolidation of labour laws, employment generation, trusting citizens and cooperative federalism are used by the government in a bid to camouflage ongoing complexities associated with India’s workforce.