18 December, 2020Across South Asian countries labour laws are facing increased attacks undermining workers’ rights including freedom of association and collective bargaining. IndustriALL South Asia affiliates call for building national and international solidarity to protect workers’ rights.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the containment measures have seriously affected workers in South Asia. Across the region, governments’ mixed response to the crisis have let workers suffer wage theft, leave without pay, non-implementation of labour laws, loss of livelihood and in many cases cynical retrenchment of precarious workers with no hope for the future.
National strike in India, 26 November 2020
The regional webinar organized by IndustriALL South Asia office on 4 December highlighted that the trade unions across region fought tooth and nail to defend workers’ rights. IndustriALL executive committee members Sanjay Vadhavkar, Steel, Metal & Engineering Workers' Federation of India, and Anton Marcus, Sri Lanka Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union took part in the meeting.