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India is gradually unlocking its economy after more than two months of shutdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak, but many businesses and factories are facing a shortage of labour. That’s because when the factories closed down, millions of migrant workers, left to fend for themselves, returned to their native places. They have little to do there.

On top of that, several states have diluted labour protection laws, saying it would attract investment and create more jobs. But critics say this would make India’s workers - among the lowest wage earners in the world - more vulnerable to exploitation.

So, in this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how can India protect its workers. Will diluting labour laws revamp the economy or create a labour crisis?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors:
Nishtha Satyam, deputy country representative, UN Women India; K Vaidya Nathan, finance professor, Indian School of Business; Ranu Bhogal, director of policy, research and campaigns, Oxfam India