Labouring Lives: Industry and Informality in New India
‘Wonderfully written . . . bridges the gap between what we know and what we should know but usually do not know.’ – Amit Bhaduri, distinguished economist
‘Labouring Lives is sharply analytical but also deeply personal.’ – Ramaa Vasudevan, Colorado State University
‘A most impressive achievement.’ – Vivek Chibber, New York University
‘At a time when workers’ rights are being written down, it leaves the reader with the raw question — what might the way forward be?’ – Gautam Mody, New Trade Union Initiative
Clothes and cars are sparkling symbols of India’s economic success, but few think about the men and women who toil ceaselessly on the sewing machines and assembly lines to produce them. Based on interviews carried out over many years in Delhi’s National Capital Region, Labouring Lives provides a glimpse of the world of workers in the automobile and readymade garment industries. Archana Aggarwal combines first-hand accounts from workshops and tenements with an examination of policy and law to illuminate the consequences of flexibilisation and informalisation of labour. The book forcefully argues for a shift away from the mainstream view where workers are dehumanised and markets are the sole determinant of employment, wages and working conditions.