Labour Rights

SLIC‘s work in labour rights has its roots in the trade union struggle in Mumbai. In India, only a minuscule fraction of the workforce is organised, most of which is in urban areas, leaving the rest of the working class vulnerable to blatant exploitation. As a result, closures and job losses, sub-minimum wages, bonded and slave labour, contract labour, discrimination against women and the siphoning away of money from the workers’ funds characterize Indian labour.

Although Indian labour laws are amongst the best in the world, their implementation is slow and obstructed by corruption. Over the last 15 years, under the impact of globalization, privatization and structural adjustment policies the situation is further deteriorating. Despite stiff opposition from trade unions, the government has succeeded in making major inroads into workers’ rights.

What SLIC Does


The Labour Rights Initiative works in both rural and urban areas with the organized and unorganized sectors. SLIC lawyers have filed several cases in Supreme Court and High Courts representing workers on cases of discrimination, illegal closures, illegal termination, starvation death cases, minimum wages, no-pay and others.

It conducts investigation into safety and welfare measures for construction workers as per the Building And Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996. It also conducts people’s tribunal where victims give testimonies on how they have been affected by corporate crimes. The objective behind these people’s tribunals is to identify measures for remedying loopholes and provisions in the existing legal and government structure that allows corporations to abuse human rights without any fear of punishment. By organizing consultations at a national level, the initiative gives organizations, trade unions, labour lawyers, judges , journalists, academicians and other professionals across the country a platform to present their struggles on a variety of labour rights issues and work together to bring about a change.

SLIC also has publications on labour rights topics ranging from posters on occupational health and safety issues for use in the workplace, to compilation of landmark judgments. It works at the grassroots level to assist workers and surrounding communities in campaigning against specific companies.

Main Concerns


    - Fair wages and working conditions
    - Implementation of labour laws
    - Discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, sexual orientation, disability
    - Implementation of health and safety regulations for workers

SLIC Impact


Though there are laws prohibiting the closure of factories without prior government permission, illegal closures are common. SLIC has often intervened where courts have inducted closures in several cases. It has also intervened in cases relating to wages of workers. For example, in Girni Kamagar Sangarsh Samiti vs Matulya Mills Limited, the court’s remarkable judgement that a company’s inability to pay is no defence for non-payment of wages brought a change in the rights of workers.

SLIC had also filed a PIL on the behalf of the Occupational Health and Safety Association about the alarming levels of toxic air pollutants in and around thermal power plants which caused occupational diseases among workers. The Supreme Court directed the agencies to take several actions which benefited thousands of workers, including free and comprehensive medical checkups, continuation of work contracts during illness, occupational disease compensation, modern protective equipment, strict measures for the control of dust, heat, noise, vibration and radiation, and adherence to the code of practice and occupational safety and health audit as developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

In another case, a PIL filed by SLIC benefited tens of thousands of tea plantation workers. In a landmark case, the Supreme Court of India issued a notice and the government bought out a notification to cater to the health, education, food and livelihood of the workers and their families by reviving plantations and including them in various schemes.

SLIC has always criticized contract labour and takes up several cases demanding that the workers be made permanent. In Kachara Vahatuk Shramik Sangh vs Bombay Municipal Corporation, the High Court of Bombay held that removal of rubbish was statutory duty and was open to corporations delegating this work to contractors. But after SLIC appealed in the Supreme Court, the decision of high court was set aside and 800 workers were regularised. Similarly, in the case of Rajkumar vs Union of India, SLIC lawyers demanded the abolishment of the contract labour system at Delhi airport. Though the contract labour board upheld the case against the workers, the High Court ordered the board to make a fresh decision after SLIC’ s intervention.
NORTH DINAJPUR DISTRICT MEETING

Article 15(1) enjoins on the Government not to discriminate against any citizen of India (including disabled) on the ...read more

State Level Meeting on Violation of Human Rights in West Bengal During Covid 19

Prior to the announcement of the National Lockdown on 25 March 2020, a number of courts had shut down in response to t ...read more

WEBINAR ON USE OF LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF REFUGEES AND MIGRANT LABOUR

Human rights violations are done in numerous ways, and two sets of human beings being abjectly violated are the refugees ...read more

Migrant Workers’ Registration, Food etc.

Garden Reach Contract Security & Labours Union and Anr vs. The State of West Bengal & Ors W.P.A. (P) No. 158 of 2021
Pending

Following the lockdown after the second wave of Covid-19, migrant workers make survival demands.

Since the second wave of Covid-19 has hit Delhi in '21, daily wage and informal workers are once again left all on their ...read more

Three quality meals a day at shelter homes

Bandhua Mukti Morcha Vs Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board & Ors
Pending

Modern Slavery: Minor made to Sleep with Cattle for 3 years rescued

Simon Kerketta Versus State of Punjab and Ors., CWP 14742
Disposed off

Webinar on Labour Rights and Farmer's Rights

Webinar on Labour Rights and Farmer's Rights  ...read more

Right to women domestic workers

Phrasina Vs. Urban and Rural Development, W.P. (PIL) No. 21218/2019
Pending

Patna High Court Disposed Of the Petition Challenging The Factories Act, 1948 Notification

National Campaign Committee for Eradication of Bonded Labour Vs State of Bihar, CWJC No. 7557 of 2020
Disposed

Webinar on State Level Meeting on Migrant Labour and Labour Law – Odisha

Human Rights Law Network conducted a webinar with the representatives of major grass root organisations and movements ...read more

Using the Law for Human Rights in Arunachal Pradesh

On 18th July, the Socio-Legal Information Centre, in collaboration with North East Support Centre & Helpline, Himala ...read more

Webinar on Report on Situation of Migrant Labours and Recent Labour Law Changes

Socio-Legal Information Centre conducted a zoom Webinar on Situation of Migrant Labours and Recent Labour Law Changes . ...read more

Situation of Migrant Labours and Recent Labour Law Changes - Gujarat

In the wake of Covid- 19, a group of researchers and lawyers from SLIC began the process of organizing a series of webin ...read more

Webinar on State Level Meeting on Migrant Labour and Labour Law – Chhattisgarh

Socio-Legal Information Centre conducted a zoom webinar on State Level Meeting on Migrant Labour and Labour Law – Ch ...read more

PIL Filed for Migrant Labourers in Madhya Pradesh during COVID 19

Banddhua Mukti Morcha Vs. State of Madhya Pradehs, W.P. No (PIL) 7915/2020
Pending

Webinar on State Level Meeting on Migrant Labour and Atma Nirbhar Coal

Socio-Legal Information Centre conducted a zoom webinar on SLIC Jharkhand State Level Meeting on Situation of Migrant La ...read more

Webinar on State Level Meeting on Migrant Labour – Madhya Pradesh

Socio-Legal Information Centre conducted a zoom webinar on State Level Meeting on Migrant Labour – Madhya Prade ...read more

Labour Rights & Law

In the wake of Covid 19, a group of researchers and lawyers from SLIC began the process of organising a series of webina ...read more

COVID 19 and its Effect on Labour Rights

Socio-Legal Information Centre conducted a zoom webinar on COVID 19 and it's Effect on Labour Rights  on 17.06.2020 ...read more

SC Takes Cognizance of Migrant Crisis: Did A Late-Night Letter From 20 Senior Lawyers Change Course?

Did a late night letter on Monday from 20 renowned advocates of Delhi and Mumbai accusing the Supreme Co ...read more

Webinar on WB District Lawyers Training: Labour Rights - during COVID Lockdown

Socio-Legal Information Centre conducted a zoom Webinar on WB District Lawyers Training: Labour Rights - during COVID ...read more

End the harassment of farmers now

Exemptions granted to farming and related activities during the lockdown must be followed in practiceDrafting orders wit ...read more

Challenging Police Crackdown of Farmers stepping out for farming activity

Swami Agnivesh and Anr vs Union of India and Ors
Disposed Off

Fact Finding on Manual Scavenging

A team comprising one lawyer from Socio-Legal Information Centre (SLIC) , a law student and a couple of local Social Act ...read more

Supreme Court Grants Relief to Badli Worker in his long litigation battle

Kalayan Dombivli Mahanagar Parivahan Seva Vs. Anil Shankar Dhanke Dairy No. 43612 of 2019
Disposed off

Report on the Meeting on Land Rights and Organization Building Banaskantha, Gujarat - 21st September, 2019

Human Right Law Network, Gujarat organized a one day seminar on Land Rights and Organization Building with Banaskantha D ...read more

Report of District Level Meeting on “Freedom from Forced Labour and Modern Slavery in Agricultural Sector” at Sabarkantha, Gujarat

Socio-Legal Information Centre(SLIC)hadorganised a district-level meetingin collaboration with ‘Actionaid’, ‘Aajee ...read more

Rights for Women Domestic Workers (Minimum Wages)

Ayushi Vs. State of Madhya Pradesh, W.P. No. 3118/2020
Pending

One Out of Every 7 Kids Malnourished in Indore District

INDORE: The Indore bench of MP high court has issued a notice to the state government seeking reply over two petitions f ...read more

Bonded labourers rescued from Haryana Brick Kiln

After receiving a tip-off, bonded labourers – including women and children were rescued from a brick kiln in Kurukshet ...read more

12 trafficked tribal children rescued from Una Himachal Pradesh

Minors from the tribal belts of Assam and Tripura in the NorthEastern states of India were trafficked to work at restaur ...read more

Delhi High Court Granted Bail To The 'Informant' In Bonded Labour Case

DHAN BHAKTA vs. THE STATE BAIL APPLN. 1401/2019
Disposed Of

Rescued dalit trafficked workers from Ambala, Haryana

The National Campaign Committee for Eradication of Bonded Labour (NCCEBL) rescued Around 56 bonded labourers belonging f ...read more

Another minor rescued as bonded labour from Shalimar Bagh, second in two months

As part of the continuous national campaign to eradicate the bonded labour and to rescue bonded labours across India, a ...read more

Locked in room by her employers: Minor girl working as bonded labour rescued, FIR registered

For a 17-year-old girl, who was locked in a room as a bonded labour, freedom came knocking on the doors of her employers ...read more

Why are bonded labour activities still prevalent in Punjab & Haryana: HC

Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice to Centre, Punjab, and Haryana governments seeking a r ...read more

Trafficked bonded labourers rescued from Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh

A women and minor girl, who were working as bonded labourers in a house in New Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, were rescued in ...read more

Minor girl working as bonded labour for 8 years rescued from Delhi

An eight-year journey of bonded labour finally came to an end for a minor girl from Delhi, who was rescued and restored ...read more

Women working as bonded labour rescued from Pathankot, FIR lodged against captor

A woman from West Bengal, who was being held as a bonded labour, was rescued from Pathankot on Thursday (23rd August, 20 ...read more

Wayanad: Kerala high court stops National Highways dept from evicting rural street vendors

WP(C) 17377/2018 Recently the National Highway department started forcefully evicting rural street vendors working be ...read more

Allahabad HC orders stay on arrest of 6 LG Electronics workers who were punished for trying to unionise

This is a case where LG Electronics started transferring its workers to remote locations. However, only those workers wh ...read more

25 bonded labourers from Sahira Adivasi community of Madhya Pradhesh rescued from Rajasthan

25 people from eight families were rescued on Saturday night after the National Campaign Committee For Eradication Of Bo ...read more

Delhi HC strikes down ESIC’s fraudulent move to create, sell medical institutions

Balaraj Jadhav and Ors. Vs. Union of India and Ors W.P.(C) No. 11837 of 2015
Disposed off

President of India quashes chargesheet against Haryana IFS officer

Sanjeev Chaturvedi Versus. Union of India WP (Crl) No 148 of 2012

Are workers in religious/charitable institutions protected under the Minimum Wages Act?

Shri Satya Narayan Tulsi Manas Mandir vs. Workman Compensation Commissioner & Ors