Law College Dehradun, Faculty of Uttaranchal University, organized a National Webinar on the topic ‘Unorganized Labourer: An Unintended Victim of Covid-19’ on 23rd June, 2020 with Prof. (Dr.) V.L. Mony as the Keynote Speaker. Dr. Mony, Professor and Dean, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Law as well as adjunct Professor of Saveetha University, Chennai for Research Activities, completed his LL.B. in Labour Laws from Kerala University in 1986. He is a Ph.D. in Human Rights Law from Behrampur University (2000). He has worked as Associate Professor and Deputy Director (IPR), Ethiopia and has held several prestigious positions in various educational institutions, like Dean Academic Council, Chairman of variegated committees like Board of Studies, Publications, Research and many more.
Prof. (Dr.) Rajesh Bahuguna, Vice Chancellor/Dean, Law College Dehradun, Uttaranchal University commenced the National Webinar with a cordial invite to the Keynote Speaker of the event. Dr. Mony, broached the topic of the webinar by first throwing light on the earliest enactment which dealt with the issue of unorganized labour in India viz. the Trade Unions Act, 1926. He mentioned the first instance where unorganized labour was discussed in the Supreme Court viz., the Asiad Workers Case of 1982. The key issues that our country faces due to its high labour population were discussed in comparison with other developed nations. The speaker deliberated on several industries with high density of unorganized laborers to highlight the importance of protecting the unorganized sector that contributes equally to the country’s economy. Over 400 million informal workers were affected by the global recession that followed the lockdowns and the Covid-19 pandemic has virtually erased the legal existence of a migrant worker.
The latter half of the event had the Keynote Speaker taking up doubts and queries of the attendees. The attendees comprised a wide diversity of students and academicians from universities and institutes all over the country who actively participated in the Q & A Round. Common queries related to possible ways in which India can achieve implementation of ambitious welfare schemes to the ground level, role played by NGOs in promoting the social cause, solutions to tackle the current problems of unorganized & migrant labourers and the like. Dr. Mony concluded the session by stating that the need of the hour is to target and to bring to record the hitherto unrecorded statistical figures relating to the unorganized labour masses in the country so that the needed protection can be granted to them and thus, to raise their living standards. He stated that it will eventually lead to overall economic improvement.
This informative webinar concluded with the Vote of Thanks delivered on behalf of the Organizing Committee of Training & Recruitment Division, Law College Dehradun.
