Global Rights Index 2014 - India
| Publisher | International Trade Union Confederation |
| Publication Date | 19 May 2014 |
| Cite as | International Trade Union Confederation, Global Rights Index 2014 - India, 19 May 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/53bcf9aef.html [accessed 8 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Country Rating: 5
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No guarantee of rights
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Countries with the rating of 5 are the worst countries in the world to work in. While the legislation may spell out certain rights, workers have effectively no access to these rights and are therefore exposed to autocratic regimes and unfair labour practices.
Union busting at PepsiCo: In 2013, 162 workers employed at PepsiCo in West Bengal organised a union. Instead of negotiating with the newly established union, the company systematically harassed and subsequently dismissed union members. In May 2013, the workers were offered reinstatement on the condition that they would never again join a union. They were asked to sign false statements and to cut up their union cards and to step on them as they walked into the warehouses. Moreover, the company threatened that all local employers would blacklist the workers who refused to comply with their demands. However, 28 workers refused to accept these conditions and formed the PepsiCo (Frito-Lays) Workers' Action Committee in August 2013. The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) filed a formal complaint against the company for violation of the OECD Guidelines with the US government's National Contact Point.
Replacement workers: GVKEMRI regional manager Hemanta Kumar Bhattu announced that he was hiring new drivers and emergency medical technicians to replace 108 workers who are on strike. Workers are demanding a salary of Rs 15,000 and their work hours be reduced to eight hours per day.
