COVID-19 and Labour Law: India

The nation-wide lockdown due to COVID-19 has caused acute distress amongst the large informal workforce in India. India’s federal system has meant that relief measures have been introduced both at the central and state level. However, these measures have largely been imposed without a consultative process and are piece-meal and sector-specific in their scope. Consequently, these measures extend to only a small slice of the labour force in the country and do not effectively guarantee the fundamental right to social security for all workers.