DISCRIMINATION AGAINST UN ORGANIZED LABOUR: A CHALLENGE BEFORE EQUILITY

Abstract

The labour in India consists of about 487 million workers, the second largest after China. Of these over 94 percent work in unincorporated, unorganized enterprises ranging from pushcart vendors to home-based diamond and gem polishing operations. The organized sector includes those employed by the government, state-owned enterprises and private sector enterprises. In 2008, the organized sector employed 27.5 million workers, of which 17.3 million worked for government or government owned entities. 

The unorganised sector of the economy refers to the house-hold based manufacturing activity and small scale and tiny sector of industry. An unorganized sector is one in which there is no stability in profits or gains. Its production is limited and it is confined to limited area. It requires less man power and investment. The handicrafts, artisan professions, khadi and village industries, such as handloom sector, beedi making, agarbatti making, hand paper manufacture and match box industries etc., can be located in the unorganised sector of the Indian economy. 

 Amongst the characteristic features of this sector are ease of entry, smaller scale of operation, local ownership, uncertain legal status, labour-intensive and operating using lower technology based methods, flexible pricing, less sophisticated packing, absence of a brand name, unavailability of good storage facilities and an effective distribution network, inadequate access to government schemes, finance and government aid, lower entry barriers for employees, a higher proportion of migrants with a lower rate of compensation.  

This Article basically highlights the nature and essential characteristics of un organized sector and further analyze the legal issues raised in the protection of unorganized sector labour.