On the occasion of May Day, we will be having a discussion with our alumni, Saloni Mundra (MA Development, 2016 – 18), Jibitesh Sahoo (MA Development, 2014 – 16), and Gopal Sukhadev Gunte (LLM, 2017 – 18), who are working on issues of labour in various capacities. 

The conversation will begin with their desire to work in this field, their experiences working with workers, and building workers’ organisations. They will be also discussing their achievement and the larger impact they had on labour policy.

About the speakers

Jibitesh Sahoo works closely with Pathar Gadhai Mazdoor Surakasha Sangha, a union working with Stone Carvers which is supported by Aajeevika Bureau. His main work is to collectivise the stone workers and work closely with them to prevent silicosis which is an occupational disease.

Saloni Mundra works as an Executive at Aajeevika Bureau, focusing on collectivisation of construction workers and factory workers in Ahmedabad and solution-driven interventions focusing on women workers in the city. She has worked to strengthen strong solidarity groups of women workers in rural Rajasthan, demanding their rights and entitlements from the state.

Gopal Gunte is practicing civil, criminal, and labour cases in Maharashtra, representing individual labour workers and labour unions at the Labour and Industrial court in Pune. He has worked as a legal consultant for the monitoring and evaluation of Tata Trust’s jail project for the welfare and rehabilitation of inmates.

Rajesh Joseph is a faculty member at Azim Premji University.