INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION
India-New Zealand FTA: Expanding India’s footprint in Oceania
More than a trade deal, the India-New Zealand FTA is a strategic gateway to new markets, fresh investment and stronger capabilities, positioning India to compete, connect, and grow across the Asia-Pacific.
Pakistan's factory workers swelter in extreme heat as global brands fail on safety pledges
Workers in Karachi's garment factories face extreme heat and unsafe conditions while producing clothing for international brands. Many report health issues due to the high temperatures and lack of adequate protections from their employers. Complaints about working conditions often go ignored, leading to serious health repercussions for workers. Some companies have pledged to improve safety measures, but implementation remains insufficient.
Female AI assistants were paid less money than male ones despite identical skills. What explains this gender pay gap?
Two AI assistants had the same skills, performed identical tasks and used the same technology. Yet, when 189 people were asked to reward them for their work, one received 10.25% less money than the other. The only key difference was how the assistants appeared. This study has raised questions about why gender bias persisted even when people were evaluating machines, and what this could mean as AI assistants become part of everyday working life.
Indian SME pharma firms see shift of orders from China; cost, quality concerns remain
Small and mid-sized Indian pharmaceutical firms are witnessing a shift in orders away from China. As Western buyers diversify their supply chains, India benefits from lower labor costs and local raw materials. However, some industry leaders caution about the heavy reliance on Chinese imports for essential components.
The economics of India's biggest export industry goes topsy-turvy
India’s $315-billion IT industry faces a structural shift as AI boosts productivity but puts pressure on pricing, revenue and entry-level hiring. Clients are demanding more output for less, while spending shifts towards AI, cloud and in-house capabilities.
Piyush Goyal calls for WTO-compliant approach to correcting global trade distortions at G20 Trade Ministers' Meet
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal called for a World Trade Organization-compliant approach to tackle trade distortions and excess capacity during the concluding day of the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Piyush Goyal at G20: India has no ‘structural excess capacity’, rejects dumping concerns based on broad country-wide assumptions
India does not have structural excess manufacturing capacity in sectors flagged by the G20 presidency, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said, rejecting broad assumptions that could trigger trade measures. He called for border action to rely on specific, verifiable evidence and comply with WTO rules, while defending India’s manufacturing expansion.
Goyal at G20: India opposes making MFN conditional on WTO obligations
Union Minister Piyush Goyal represented India at the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting, emphasizing the importance of the Most-Favoured-Nation principle. He stated that equal trading terms are essential for both large and small traders. Goyal expressed India's commitment to addressing trade distortions through WTO-compliant measures and preserving developing countries' policy space for industrialization. India's position on forced labor in global supply chains was reiterated during the discussions.
Piyush Goyal says India does not have structural excess manufacturing capacity
Piyush Goyal said India does not have structural excess manufacturing capacity in sectors identified by the G20, arguing that Indian production caters to both domestic and global demand. Speaking at the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in the US, Goyal also stressed WTO rules, supply-chain diversification, forced labour concerns and the need to preserve policy space for developing economies.
US Trade Representative Greer jokes Piyush Goyal is 'trade minister for life' as G20 trade talks open in Milwaukee
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer opened a two-day G20 trade ministers' meeting in Milwaukee addressing key issues. During the event, Greer emphasized the need to rethink global trade governance and identified four pressing priorities. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal participated actively, promoting India's position on trade agreements alongside his counterparts. The discussions included initiatives concerning steel overcapacity, forced labour, and the Most-Favoured-Nation principle.
Astana International Financial Centre explores to partner with India's GIFT City
Astana International Financial Centre is exploring potential collaboration with India's GIFT city due to regional proximity. This partnership aims to enhance financial services and investment opportunities between Kazakhstan and India. AIFC has established itself as a leading financial hub in Central Asia since its launch in 2018. Initiatives from AIFC include developments in sustainable finance and digital assets.
Forced labour and import: Reading India’s latest foreign trade policy additions
With this notification in place, India has tried to put a protective layer for the domestic industry from unfair foreign competition.
BRICS adopts New Delhi Declaration: Inside the 140-point document on Global South's ambitions
BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration at the 18th summit, reaffirming their commitment to cooperation, multilateralism and a more representative global order. The document outlines India's 2026 chairship priorities, recognises partner countries' contributions and calls for greater participation of Emerging Markets, Developing Countries and Least Developed Countries in global governance.
India plans to replace minimum wage by living wages by 2025; Here's what it could it mean
India is planning to replace its minimum wage system with a living wage by 2025, seeking assistance from the International Labour Organization (ILO) to develop a framework for estimating and implementing it. The move aims to lift millions out of poverty and ensure their well-being. India has more than 500 million workers, with 90% in the unorganized sector. While many earn a daily minimum wage of ₹176 or more, stagnant since 2017, the national wage floor lacks enforceability across states, leading to wage payment discrepancies.
Illegal profits from forced labour up by 37% in last 10 years to $236 billion per year: ILO
In its report on the economics of forced labour, the International Labour Organisation said the dramatic increase of $64 billion since 2014 has been fuelled by both a growth in the number of people forced into labour, as well as higher profits generated from the exploitation of victims.
Delhi govt to roll out welfare schemes for domestic workers
The Delhi government will soon come up with welfare schemes for nearly five lakh domestic workers in the national capital, Labour Minister Raaj Kumar Anand said on Friday. Anand made the announcement at a workshop held by the International Labour Organization to discuss bringing domestic workers' rights under the legal ambit in Delhi.
Global employment will grow by just 1% in 2023: International Labour Organization
The ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2023 report, released on Monday, projects the global employment growth tobe only 1% in 2023, less than half the level in 2022. This would lead to an addition of around 3 million jobs to 208 million.
Niti Aayog to soon bring out policy on job creation
The Aayog is closely working with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to develop the fine prints for a care economy, and with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as the VV Giri National Labour Institute to increase the participation of women in the labour force and boost the opportunities for gig and platform workers.
International Labour Organization elects new chief
"The ILO Governing Body has elected a new ILO Director-General. Congratulations to @GilbertFHoungbo. Gilbert F. Houngbo will take office in October 2022," ILO tweeted.Houngbo, former Prime Minister of Togo, will be the 11th head of the agency and the first African to hold the post, Xinhua news agency reported.
Over 9 million children could be pushed into child labour by 2022: ILO
The report titled Child Labour: Global estimates 2020, trends and the road forward, warns that progress to end child labour has stalled for the first time in 20 years, reversing the previous downward trend that saw child labour fall by 94 million between 2000 and 2016. The report has been released ahead of World Day Against Child Labour on June 12.
Over 55 million domestic workers around the world are at risk of losing jobs due to lockdown
An ILO assessment shows that the worst affected region are Southeast Asia and the Pacific where 76% of domestic workers are at risk followed by the Americas (74%) Africa (72%) and Europe (45%). ILO estimates that only 10% of domestic workers have access to social security while many domestic workers earn as little as 25% of average wages.
One in six young people out of work due to pandemic: ILO
“The COVID-19 economic crisis is hitting young people, especially women, harder and faster than any other group,” ILO director general Guy Ryder said. “If their talent and energy is side-lined by a lack of opportunity or skills it will damage all our futures and make it much more difficult to re-build a better, post-COVID economy,” Ryder said.
Government prepares an action plan to reskill unemployed migrant and informal sector workers post lockdown
About 90% of India’s workforce of 500 million is engaged in the informal sector. The 40-day lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19 has forced millions of these people out of jobs.
COVID-19 crisis can push 40 crore informal sector workers in India deeper into poverty: ILO
"COVID-19 is already affecting tens of millions of informal workers. In India, Nigeria and Brazil, the number of workers in the informal economy affected by the lockdown and other containment measures is substantial," the ILO report released in Geneva said.
Centre, states need to pursue labour law reforms: SBI report
Currently, there are about 44 central labour laws and over 100 state labour laws.
India to ratify 2 International Labour Organization conventions on child labour
According to the 2001 census, there were 12.6 million child workers between the ages of 5 and 14 in India. In 2011, this number fell to 4.35 million.
Home-based workers demand visibility in brands’ supply chain
More than 3.5 lakh home-based workers will come together to demand that they get living wages as per ILO-recognised code of labour practice.
India should not drag feet on child labour: Kailash Satyarthi
India should not sit in the club of three or four countries that have not signed the convention on the worst forms of child labour.
Focus on content in labour reform without wasting political capital on mere form
Discriminatory wages and work terms for a section of employees must go. It is this grand bargain that must be the basis for viable labour reform.
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