Covid-19: How Indian states are snatching away the rights of workers

'As many as 7 Indian states have diluted labour laws. The excuse is that the steps have been taken to “boost the economy”. Many more states are expected to follow suit... Even as the COVID19 lockdown has targeted India’s most vulnerable, migrant workers who have been forced to take to walking hundreds of kilometres back home, the Central Govt and many states have used this period to snatch what little legal protection they had at work. There have been some tears some shed, and some stories told of a section of India that Indians, state and society, had invisibilised these workers. As thousands of migrant workers walked hundreds of kilometres back to their homes, many home states have repealed laws that ensure protection from exploitation at work. In 2020, these moves are likely to worsen their sufferings and add to their woes...'