Conference Agenda

This paper presentation investigates the evolving life-course trajectories of globally connected Information Technology (IT) and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) workers in India, emphasising how global service value chains generate economic opportunities while simultaneously reinforcing entrenched precarity, risk, and uncertainty. Drawing on extensive ethnographic research in Pune, a vibrant Tier-2 urban services outsourcing hub, and on recurrent participant interviews since 2017, the study maps out workers’ skill training pathways, precarious working conditions, and fragmented career trajectories. It reveals not only the systemic challenges that underpin these global networks but also the remarkable resilience and agency with which Indian workers sustain them.

At the heart of the analysis is a critical exploration of local social factors and institutional frameworks for effective work regulation and oversight. Findings indicate that traditional labour market structures often fail to protect younger workers and then through their life-course, particularly in environments dominated by rigid management systems that exact a heavy mental and physical toll. The study argues that revitalising local regulatory frameworks, through targeted skill development initiatives and enhanced collective bargaining rights, is essential for safeguarding workers amid rapid technological and economic disruptions. It argues that effective ground-level oversight must integrate the efforts of both state and non-state institutions, including the private sector and NGOs providing grassroots training support, advocacy, and indie union collectives representing the voice of IT/ITeS workers. Together, these coalitions can help translate regulatory policies into practical improvements, ensuring that the protections promised by policy are realised on the ground, creating buy-ins from lead firms in the global North and their subcontractors in the global South. In sum, this paper contributes to debates on labour market institutional reform by offering actionable strategies for constructing a resilient and adaptive labour framework in services supply chains. The insights so developed have significant implications for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars who seek to foster a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable labour ecosystem in India’s global services landscape.

Given the rise in income inequality worldwide, the role of firms as modern drivers of the

economy for propelling the growth of employment and ensuring economic stability has become the central focus of policy discussions. This paper examines empirically, the institutional complementarities between labour, finance and product market regulations along with their role in influencing the growth trajectory of employment in India. In India, the growth pertaining to the size of a firm is largely constrained by stringent labour and product market regulations. As per the assertions put forth by existing literature impact of financial market development on the growth of firms has been heterogeneous across all industries. On the contrary, labour market effects of these institutions are disparate. This paper further analyses the heterogeneity in product and labour market regulations as well as the varied development of financial markets across all the states of India. Further, using the dynamic panel data model-IV model, the differential impacts of financial market development combined with product and labour market regulation on the growth in the size of the share employment both at extensive and intensive margins has been assessed. The dataset, provided by CMIE-PROWESS is composed of small, large and medium-sized Indian firms and covers a span of twenty four years from 1998-2022, with varying information for twenty-one Indian states.

The central argument of this paper is that the effect of financial market development is stronger for stimulating inherent or intra-firm growth compared to product and labour market regulations. Albeit, it prima facie appears that labour market regulation could decelerate the growth of a firm’s size, it has been established in this paper that upon controlling the macro trends the estimated coefficient turns out to be almost negligible. This paper concludes that the growth of Indian firms is more or less affected by their capacity to attract external funds to bolster investment and the possibility to adapt to the dynamic workforce, assuming the presence of a stringent institutional framework. The results are robust to alternative specifications that control for industry and firm-level characteristics and address the concern of potential reverse causality.

Abstract: There is a growing trend likely responding to the fragmentation of the labour market in which substantive collective labour rights have been gradually extended to different groups of solo self-employed (e.g., the EU guidelines for antitrust standards of the solo self-employed, the platform worker directive, and several legislative reforms at the national level, which provide different rights on information/consultation/representation of workers beyond the employment relationship).

This tendency is compliant with the foundational principles laid down in human rights instruments and international labour standards (UN, ILO). However, in most legal reforms, procedural channels and structures of representation seem to have been left untouched. Individual case studies where workers outside the employment relationship do not meet the requirements stipulated in the law to be recognized as a valid structure of representation have been broadly identified, threatening to render these substantive collective rights inoperable. Cases where more flexible procedural rules led to illegitimate representation have also risen, particularly in the platform economy. These developments raise questions of whether rules of recognition and representativity established for structures of worker representation obstruct the effective exercise of collective labour rights by solo self-employed and to what extent these rules are well suited for these workers. Are they able to enable their collective representation and voice? Or, are they simply a procrustean bed in urgent need of reconceptualisation? This research is about that question – and related issues.

The overarching aim of this research is to assess if current rules that regulate structures of worker representation and their criteria for recognition and representativity hinder the enjoyment of fundamental collective labour rights of workers outside the employment contract. To do so, the methodology proposed is to examine and compare specific national legal systems, to later contrast the domestic rules against the exercise of platform workers' fundamental collective labour rights, precisely seeking to determine from such exercise if such rules enable or obstruct the effective enjoyment of these rights.

Introduction

Globalization, technological advancements, and shifting market dynamics have disrupted job stability, social security, and protections for workers worldwide. In the manufacturing sector, downsizing strategies driven by economic restructuring, climate change adaptation, and technological upgradation have significantly impacted labor market institutions, intensifying the vulnerabilities of workers in formal and informal economies.

Research Objectives

This study aims to investigate the socio-economic, physical, cultural, and emotional effects of termination on workers in manufacturing industries in Gujarat, India. It explores the challenges faced by workers pre- and post-termination, evaluates institutional responses, and identifies mechanisms to protect and empower affected employees.

Methodology

The research employs a mixed-methods approach. Qualitative data is gathered through personal interviews with terminated employees to understand their lived experiences. Quantitative data is derived from secondary sources to analyze broader trends in labor market institutions and termination practices. Judgmental sampling is used to ensure a diverse and representative sample of respondents.

Key Findings

Preliminary findings shall highlight the multifaceted challenges faced by terminated workers, including economic hardship, mental health strain, and social exclusion. The study examines the role of collective bargaining, trade unions, and labor legislation in mitigating these impacts and assesses the effectiveness of care infrastructure and upskilling programs in facilitating employment transitions.

Contributions to Literature

This research bridges a critical gap by providing empirical evidence on the socio-economic consequences of worker termination and offering insights into strengthening labor institutions. The findings contribute to the discourse on decent work and highlight the need for inclusive policies to safeguard workers’ rights in a rapidly evolving labor market.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The paper proposes actionable recommendations to enhance institutional responses, including stronger labor legislation, expanded social protections, and mechanisms to support sustainable employment transitions. It underscores the importance of labor market reforms that prioritize equity, inclusivity, and resilience for vulnerable workers.