"Democracy on paper, dictatorship at work: India’s war on labour rights", 15 June 2025

In 2025, India stands condemned – not by imperialist forces or hostile neighbours, but by the lived experiences of its own working class. The latest International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index delivers a damning verdict: India remains at rating ‘5’ – a category it now shares with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Cambodia, and 33 others. This is not merely a diplomatic embarrassment or a policy failure; it is an international indictment of a country that calls itself the world’s largest democracy while systematically oppressing its workers. This shameful ranking is no accident. It is the inevitable consequence of a state that has chosen crony capitalism over constitutional morality, surveillance over solidarity, and profit over people. What we are witnessing is not governance, but governance weaponised – where laws are bent to favour capital, institutions are neutered to silence workers, and the entire machinery of the state is marshalled to break the spine of labour.

..The ITUC report lays bare a disturbing truth: in contemporary India, core labour rights exist largely on paper. The right to strike is criminalised, trade unions face systemic barriers to registration, and collective bargaining is deliberately obstructed through legal design. Surveillance of organisers is rampant, while arbitrary arrests of protesters have become routine..

..Trade union formation is stifled by high membership thresholds, red tape, and limits on leadership eligibility – particularly in the informal sector and among public employees. Employers are not legally bound to recognise unions, and stringent thresholds – such as requiring support from 66 percent of the workforce – further weaken bargaining power. Strikes, while technically legal, are undermined by lengthy notice periods, ambiguous definitions of “essential services,” and harsh penalties including imprisonment. States like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Manipur use sweeping powers to prohibit strikes and criminalise dissent.