Informal Workers’ Aggregation in India: An Evolving Model of Collective Action

Routh, Supriya

doi:10.7202/1034423ar

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 43 publications

(26 reference statements)

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“…The exclusionary aspect of organized trade unions inadvertently excludes a sizable segment of the workforce. The vulnerability of informal workers is exacerbated by their lack of legal recognition ( Routh, 2015 ; Bernal-Torres et al, 2019 ), which contradicts the fundamental idea of decent work enshrined in SDG 8. Furthermore, SDG 8 underlines the significance of providing safe and secure working conditions for all workers, regardless of employment status.…”

Section: Findings: Challenges and Inadequacies In Pursuing Decent Wor...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the concepts of decent work through the lens of SDG 8: addressing challenges and inadequacies

Chigbu,

Nekhwevha

2023

Front. Sociol.

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Promoting decent work and sustainable economic growth within the framework of Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) entails addressing gender inequality, the consequences of market economies, and the role of the informal sector while also considering environmental sustainability. Research on SDG 8 remains limited, often adopting an appraisal perspective, and the concept of decent work within this goal remains relatively unexplored. Additionally, the focus on the challenges and inadequacies of achieving sustainable economic growth through decent work in the context of SDG 8 is insufficient, resulting in significant knowledge gaps. To contribute to filling these gaps, this paper adopts a descriptive and critical review perspective, systematically analyzing 108 journal papers and reports to investigate the concept of decent work within SDG 8. The research addresses the challenges and inadequacies related to decent work embedded in SDG 8. The review reveals that while progress has been made in tackling gender inequality in the labor market, gender bias, income discrepancies, and underrepresentation of women in senior positions persist, hindering inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all – SDG 8. Moreover, SDG 8’s focus on inclusive and sustainable development falls short of effectively addressing market economies’ structural disparities, insecure working conditions, and exploitative labor practices. Additionally, support for informal sector workers, who lack essential rights such as legal protection and social security, remains insufficient. Ecological destruction is sometimes an unintended consequence of purely market-based labor markets with an emphasis on economic growth, with SDG 8 lacking sufficient integration of environmental sustainability in its framework. The novelty of this study comes from its in-depth, critical, and policy-focused analysis of the ideas around decent employment in the context of SDG 8. The findings underscore the importance of providing fair, safe, and secure employment opportunities to support economic growth and development while upholding workers’ rights. In conclusion, we emphasize the crucial role of promoting decent work and sustainable growth in achieving SDG 8’s overall objectives, as it directly impacts other SDGs.

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Section: Findings: Challenges and Inadequacies In Pursuing Decent Wor...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the concepts of decent work through the lens of SDG 8: addressing challenges and inadequacies

Chigbu,

Nekhwevha

2023

Front. Sociol.

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“…Studies that narrated the cases of successful organising experiences have emphasised the attributes of effective organising (see Chen et al, 2002;Jenkins, 2013;Routh, 2015;Bhowmick, 2005). But the list is far from exhaustive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organising experience of informal sector workers – a road less travelled

Balasubramanian

Sarkar

2020

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PurposeThis paper uses the Social Identity Model of Collective Action (SIMCA) framework of Zomeren et al. (2008) to explain the organising experiences of the informal sector workers engaged in large number in the world's largest shipbreaking industry located in the western Indian town of Alang.Design/methodology/approachA single case study approach was adopted to understand the participation of shipbreaking workers in their trade union and factors that influence their participation.FindingsSense of cohesive collective identity and injustice alongside efficacy considerations have shaped the organising experiences and affected the participation of informal sector workers in their union. The trade union was able to overcome the scourge of invisibility that has been one of the dominant features of informal sector employment.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper treated union participation as unidimensional. Besides, the subjective conceptualization of strengths of perceptions of injustice, identities and efficacy considerations could be a limitation. The paper does acknowledge the gendered nature of shipbreaking but have not actively pursued it as a part of our research.Practical implicationsThe findings of our study are an exemplar for those who intend to organise informal sector workers, especially precarious workers. The empirical findings allude to the role of trade unions in combating the invisibility, which is one of the defining features of informal sector workers through a distinctive, cohesive identity inculcated in those workers.Originality/valueThis paper has borrowed the SIMCA framework to explore union participation. Organising experiences of precarious workers from the developing world provides a contextual and an empirical novelty to our study.

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Locating Worker Power in a Changing Bargaining Scenario

Routh

2017

Critical Perspectives on Work and Employment in Globalizing India

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Informal Workers’ Aggregation in India: An Evolving Model of Collective Action

Cited by 3 publications

References 43 publications

Exploring the concepts of decent work through the lens of SDG 8: addressing challenges and inadequacies

Exploring the concepts of decent work through the lens of SDG 8: addressing challenges and inadequacies

Organising experience of informal sector workers – a road less travelled

Locating Worker Power in a Changing Bargaining Scenario

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