First ‘India Labour Conference’ kicks-off at IIM Kozhikode; Experts Give Clarion Call for Enhanced Enforcement of Labour Law Regulation to Protect Migrant Labour

 Kozhikode: The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) witnessed the convergence of national and international experts on Migration at the First ‘India Labour Conference’ (ILC 2024) which kicked-off here in the campus, today. Mr. Prakash Minna, Joint President & Downstream Business HR Head, Hindalco Industries Ltd (Aditya Birla Group) was the Guest of Honour, whereas Dr. S. Irudaya Rajan, Founder Chairperson, The International Institute of Migration and Development gave the Keynote Address in the presence of Prof. Shubhasis Dey- Dean Faculty and Development (IIMK) and Prof. Manoranjan Dhal – Head Centre for Employment Relations and Labour Studies (CERLS).

The maiden edition of ILC 2024 has been helmed together by the IIMK faculty experts from the Institute’s “Centre for Employment Relations and Labour Studies” – an IIMK Centre of Excellence, constituted in 2023. Through this Labour Conference CERLS wants to draw the focus on the migrant labour their issues, policies and roles of different stake holders and aim to contribute to a better labour relations process. Covid-19 pandemic which brought forth India’s Migrant Crisis to limelight was identified as a critical factor in the change of perception in the public consciousness, by the experts.

Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director IIM Kozhikode, in his message to the Conference delegates said that IIM Kozhikode has always stood for the values of Diversity and Inclusivity. He added that Covid-19 was an eye opener for the public, where-in they came face to face with the challenges faced by migrant labours, who took arduous, often-barefooted, long journey back to their villages. He encouraged the delegates to brainstorm on innovative ideas and intervention to strengthen existing policies on migrant workers and create the vision for a better India at 2047.

Key Highlights:

• Prakash Minna, in his presentation brought forth thought-evoking and startling statistics on the Interstate Migration Workers in India, their migration pattern, related perspectives and the way forward. As a corporate representative, he advocated for a skill development and training and forming strong Labour Unions that can do justice to representing migrant workers concerns in the organised sector. He further identified the challenges that migrant workers face in the search of better livelihood – deplorable living conditions, limited access to healthcare, language barriers, cultural adjustments, discrimination, exploitation due to limited implementation of regulations.

• In his keynote speech, Dr. S. Irudaya Rajan, one of the pioneers in studying migration in India, correlated the consequences and interplay of ‘fertility’ ‘mortality’ and ‘migration’ in the demographic component of a country. He strongly recommended for an evidence-based policy that will push existing labour laws to strict enforceability and accountability. Citing examples from the onslaught of Covid-19 pandemic, he touched upon various areas like distress return of migrant labour to their home states, resultant suicides and stigma associated with them as possible carriers of Covid-19 virus.

• Prof. Shubhasis Dey, encouraged the gathering to find ways to engage academia, practioners, and policy-makers to improve labour law regulation and minimise the aspect of exploitation of migrant workers. Sharing the example of Kerala, as a pioneer in safeguarding migrant labours he advocated for the best practices identified by experts to be adopted on a pan-India level. He also emphasized on the importance of enforcement of existing regulation.

• Prof. Manoranjan Dhal in his introductory remarks, recounted that how distressing Covid-19 visuals playing out in media eventually led to the creation of IIM Kozhikode’s Centre for Employment Relations and Labour Studies (CERLS). Giving an overview of the two-day conference, he added that in ILC 2024 academicians, policymakers, trade union leaders, business leaders, managers, government bodies, and scholars will present their ideas, case studies and research papers which will help address the issue of migrant workers, a deep-rooted in a developing economy, like India.

The conference will witness the following experts over the next two days, along with presentation of 23 papers:

• Amase Mitsuji, Deputy Research Director General, The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training
• Rui Yamaguchi, Researcher and Migration Expert, Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training
• Benoy Peter, Executive Director · Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), Kochin
• Umi Daniel, Director – Migration & education, Aide et action
• Sri Nitiranjan Sen, Additional Secretary to Government, Labour and ESI Department and Director State Labour Institute, Government of Odisha
• Priya Abraham, Zonal Head, Strategic Communication, International Justice Mission
• R. Karumalaiyan, National Secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)