XlRI, the Xavier School of Management, one of India’s premier B-Schools, in collaboration with International labour Organisation, the Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV), organised the first ever seminar on “labour law and Governance Reforms and labour Rights in India in the Era of Globalisation”.
The seminar witnessed trade union representatives, representatives from the IlO, academicians and students debate and discuss upon diverse perspectives related to labour issues and rights. The seminar marked a first of its kind association between two very well established bodies, namely XlRI and IlO and also brought together Central trade union leaders from the INTUC (Indian National Trade Union Congress), BMS (Bhartaya Majdoor Sangh), CITU, HMS and AITUC to the same platform.
Some of the eminent guests at the seminar were Raghwan, Asia Pacific Desk Officer, IlO ACTRAV, Bureau for Workers’ Activities, Geneva; Professor Dev Nathan, the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi; Dr. Pravin Sinha, Indian Industrial Relations Associations; Professor Praveen Kumar Jha from Centre for Informal Ssector & labour, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Trade Union representatives, Chandrashekhar Prakash Singh and Shyam Sundar Sharma; Ms. Ramapriya Gopalkrishnan advocate from Madras and an IlO Consultant Madras High Court, Ms. Christine Nathan, a former IlO ACTRAV official and currently an IlO Consultant.
The seminar was inaugurated by Fr. E Abraham, Director of XlRI, and Dr Pranabesh Ray, Dean (Academics) at XlRI and Prof. KR Shyam Sundar, Professor, HRM Area, XlRI along with the other guests.At the event, both the Director and Dean addressed the topic of labour law reforms and its relevance pertinence in the current context, while Prof. KR Shyam Sundar, used data and statistics to question the relevance and legitimacy of the labour law and governance reforms.
The Trade union representatives across party affiliations threw light upon the dismal state of labour in the largest democracy of the world. “The working people throughout the country are going to face a severe onslaught on their rights and livelihood in the days to come from the corporate-servile polity in power at the Centre. Already, such a move is reported to be afoot in respect of a number of labour laws,” they commented.
The other speakers too went on to speak about how labour can no longer be treated as a mere commodity but as an equal stakeholder in organizations and criticised the ongoing labour law and governance reforms in India.