There is fear among millions today. We never ever imagined that the entire humankind could become the victim of a sneeze. As the Corona virus continues its march around the world – economic contagion is spreading as fast as the disease itself. Humankind was not prepared for a disruption of this scale. Whatever predictions we may quote today, it was never anticipated, and not even in anyone’s wildest dreams, that the entire world would ever come to a grinding halt forcing its people to remain indoors. Whether the earth has unleashed its wrath on its inhabitants or God is bringing us to our senses, it is ultimately the poor who are paying a very high and painful price. The Covid-19 economic crisis is different. It has hit the economic giants all at once, the G-7 nations and China. For the contemporary and coming generations the world stands highly altered.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 25 million workers will go jobless in the near future owing to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. Presently India has the highest number of unemployed people in the world. In the very first years of Modi’s rule the unemployment rate doubled. Unemployment and underemployment are the most burning problems before our youth and their future remains bleak and uncertain. How long can the lockdown continue? Unlike other states, the Government of Goa has been unable to feed the poor and those on the streets who had to depend on voluntary and charitable organisations for their survival. This also includes children’s homes giving shelter to children in need of care and protection, many of whom had to depend on the generosity and charity of good Samaritans. Fortunately there are humane and well meaning people in abundance in our state and elsewhere too in the country. How long can the lock down continue for the world’s poor and vulnerable? Undoubtedly it is protecting their health, but also impoverishing them to a point of imperilling their lives. The only people who can survive without economic damage are the affluent and people with resources. Surely we need to hope for the best, but with governments having paid little attention to the plight of the poor, the migrants, the daily wage earners, the unemployed, the farmers and in short all marginalized sections of society – it is obvious that what the future holds for these people is suicides, death by starvation and disease.
A week from now we celebrate the pride and spirit of the great men and women who have worked to improve the lives of not only their families but that of the entire nation and globe. International workers day also known as May Day (Kamgar Din) is celebrated annually on 1 May all over the world to celebrate the working class. Let us remember that it is because of labour that all things prosper. It is labour indeed that makes the difference on all things. Recently labour laws in India have been amended brazenly favouring employers and snatching away the hard earned rights of the workers which includes a frontal attack on the stipulation of 8 hours work, minimum wages, social security and the right to organise and collective bargaining. Contract and daily wage system is being encouraged everywhere. Almost half of India’s wealth lies in the hands of the richest 1% citizens of this country and the richest 10% of the population controls 74% of the wealth of our nation.
The spread of Covid-19 has already had a large negative impact on labour supply and earnings of workers in many countries. These negative consequences are particularly harsh for younger workers who live in an era of ‘The Gig Economy’ which represents daily wage earners with unstable employment and lower income. The world economy is enduring a staggering down turn amidst the spread of Covid-19. Individuals are already suffering immediate losses in terms of income and employment. Economists have been quick to call for governments to take strong coordinated actions. The strain of incomes resulting from the decline in economic activity will devastate workers close or below the poverty line. What is the buffer that Goa has to sustain its working class and those devoid of any means of livelihood? Goa is reeling under a Rs 18,000 crore debt burden and borrows Rs 100 crores every fortnight to meet its expenses and pay its salaries.
Many people are already confined to their homes, some by choice and others by government order. While in some occupations a large number of tasks can be done from home e.g. business and financial operations this is not the case for all other activities. Finally what is the percentage of people who can work from home? The question therefore boils down to what about the rest who cannot work from home? Will the government institutionalise a special social security app for them? These include those involved in the farming, fishing, forestry, food preparation and serving; Personal care and service, transportation, health care support, sales related occupations, educational institutions etc.Self employed, who typically rely on projects and job assignments, are hit particularly hard. What about those who have no entitlement to paid sick leave? Most importantly how many homes in Goa and globally have access to the internet facility so as to facilitate the idea of working from home? And yes of course which government has formulated any law that protects this concept of ‘work from home’ which has been practiced for quite some time now? Nowhere in labour law is home covered under the definition of work place. Accurate, consistent, timely and transparent information is essential not just for fighting the pandemic but also on reducing the uncertainty and boosting confidence. According to ILO the global financial crises of 2008–09, which shook labour markets for months, had caused a 22 million spike in unemployment across the globe.
The present crisis has already transformed itself into an economic and labour market shock, impacting not only supply of production of goods and services but also demand i.e. consumption and investment. This crisis has devastated nations, communities, families and individuals around the world. The ILO has rightly stated that this is the best time for trade unions and the working class to stand tall and not buckle down but fight for rights of those who labour. It has given a call to the working class to demand better wages, social security and an equitable share in labour enabled profits. This statement made by the ILO is ideally and theoretically correct. Trade Unions throughout the world have been waging a relentless struggle against neo-liberalism and globalisation which includes the conditionality’s imposed by the Breton woods institutions which have placed conditions favourable to pro-transnational and multinational corporations in the world. Post-Covid the situation has become far more complex. The task of the trade unions in a recessionary economy worldwide has become more challenging. There is no rest for the genuine trade unions and their leadership. This is also a time post Covid for the emergence of false profits and rabble rousers who will take a cue from the abject suffering and agony of the people and use it against them.
(The writer is a social
scientists and practicing criminal lawyer).
