Manika Gupta, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi
INTRODUCTION
“Labour markets are about people. And people have a right to be treated with dignity and respect” —Juan Somavia
One might have read the widely acclaimed novel ‘Hard Times’ by Charles Dickens, in which he delineated the character of the protagonist as an impoverished mill worker. In the narrative, the protagonist and his fellow workers are referred to as mere 'hands'. This term is deployed to objectively disembody the workers and rob them of their individuality. The author tried to expose the appalling conditions and exploitation these 'hands'1 underwent to earn their livelihood. Further, the Indian Bollywood movies like Deewar and kala-Pathar(1979) also portrayed how workers were tormented by oppressive employers. Now one may question the relevancy of these literary references in the 21st century, where such instances of labor exploitation are rare, but do you know what curtailed such deep-rooted social malice over the subsequent years? That draws one’s attention towards the exhaustive security wall of government legislations, bricked with the framework of numerous codes and acts. This article will take you on an enlightening excursion to relieve the evolution of labor laws through the footprints of past endeavors and walk you towards contemporary amendments in the laws followed by a subjective analysis dissecting the recent enactments on the subject.
