THREE major labour laws govern the welfare of different segments of unorganised workers - the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 (ISMWA), the Building and other Constructions Workers Act, 1966 (BCOWA) and the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 (UWSSA). These laws often interact with each other. Owing to complete or partial non-implementation of the laws, construction, migrant and unorganised workers suffered a great deal during the pandemic and even in the post-pandemic period.
Ironically, COVID-19 brought millions of such hitherto ‘invisible’ workers to the mainstream media and public discussion. The Supreme Court has proactively begun to take the case of the sufferings of the migrant workers, in particular, and the unorganised workers in general, since May 26, 2020.
