The fact that labour in India, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been trapped in an unprecedented crisis, in living memory, is widely acknowledged. The employment and livelihoods of the overwhelming majority of workers have taken huge hits, and a massive uncertainty continues to loom over their immediate foreseeable future. The pandemic made a huge impact in the country and probably will leave long lasting scars on the labour markets, while reversing progress on poverty and income inequality in many economies.

Despite the living expenses being relatively high in large cities as compared to villages, their wages are considerably low causing poor living conditions including limited or non existent public services such as water and sanitation, which is something critical in times of COVID-19, in addition to food shortages.

 Migrant workers are the backbone of several sectors in the country and their contributions are significant in infrastructure development, food processing, manufacturing, textiles, security forces, domestic service and even in tea and cardamom plantations etc.

The challenges confronting India’s working people at the current juncture are enormous, to say the least, but the ruling dispensation, at best, appears to be indifferent to their lives. Furthermore, most of the migrants who returned due to the ongoing pandemic had the challenge of traveling to remote areas. Some argue that existing policies have failed in securing legal or social protection for these vulnerable groups.

I started this petition to slowly raise awareness about the labour situation in hopes of people stepping up and aiding them. We should support labourers in whatever way we can even the little efforts like donating to a charity for labourers, giving them basic amenities, clothes etc. You can take a small step to sign and share this petition to others and raise awareness so more people can step up and help.