In the Indian labour market 88% of the workforce are informal workers. Majority of them work in the unorganised sector. The unorganised sector is characterised by no job security, low wages, absence of occupational safety and no social security benefits. 

Thus, it is challenging to organise workers to negotiate for fair wages and other social security benefits with employers. However, there are many civil society organisations (CSOs) that are actively organising workers to fight for their rights.

The talk by Bhakti Vardam (MA in Development, Class of 2020) and Nitesh Das (MA in Development, Class of 2022) will take us through their experience of organising informal labour and successfully negotiating workers’ demands with their employers.

About the Speakers

Bhakti Vardam has been working with Aajeevika Bureau since 2020, an organisation focusing on working with migrant workers. Working in Mumbai, she has been actively collectivising workers towards registering a general union where both men and women across different sectors like loading, unloading, domestic work, naka work, scrap work, waste recycling work, and industrial work, can come together on the same platform and demand minimum wages and social security like Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and Provident Fund.

Nitesh Das has been working at Janpahal since 2022, an organisation dedicated to supporting workers in the services sector. Working in Delhi, his focus is on a platform for warehouse workers and gig workers. He has been actively engaged with warehouse workers, collaborating with fellow activists and workers to support the establishment of a union. These initiatives are critical to empowering workers and enhancing their representation in the pursuit of fair working conditions.

Rajesh Joseph has more than 14 years of experience in the field of urban poverty dealing with issues of unorganised labour, financial inclusion, social security, migration, job placement, training and skill enhancement in the informal sector of the economy. He is a faculty member at Azim Premji University.