Labour Laws in South Asia: The Need for an Inclusive Approach

This paper examines common strands in the historical evolution of labour laws in South Asia, and identifies certain key features such as the multiplicity of laws combined with the virtual exclusion of the majority of workers from the scope of such protection. The analysis of the actual capacity of labour law to deliver protection to workers is accompanied by an examination of current proposals to reform the law in the region, particularly India. The paper VI notes that claims for ‘flexibility’ in the labour market have to be placed in the context of the need to provide decent work for the vast numbers of working people in the region. The paper also deals with the role of labour law in both providing protection and ensuring equality for women workers, specifically with reference to its instrumental capacity to achieve gender equality.