INDUSTRIAL structure is undergoing change across the world with the rise of local and international networks of production. The Fordist regime of vertically integrated production organisation is gradually being replaced by modularised horizontal and diagonal networks coordinated often by MNCs or TNCs and spread across the globe. The essential difference between the two regimes is the element of flexibility that redefines the nature of contract both between capital and capital and capital and labour.

THIS is indeed good news that the combined general consumer price index (CPI) declined for the fourth consecutive month from January 2023 to April 2023. In rural areas the successive decline in inflation as per the general CPI is also recorded for the past four months and in case of urban areas, the decline in inflation is for the third consecutive month.Inflation figures measure the change in prices on a month on month or year on year basis reflecting the rise in prices with reference to previous time point.

WAGE labour is a distinctive feature of capitalism but not necessarily all wage labour can be considered as ‘free labour’, neither is it true that capitalism is inimical to unfree labour. Marx sarcastically mentioned that a worker is doubly free in the sense s/he is free to sell labour power as her/his own commodity and also free of all means of production by which s/he could have valorised her/his own labour.

THE latest annual report of Periodic Labour Force Survey, 2021-22 published by NSSO, Government of India draws attention to many perennial problems that India seems to be facing in the employment front. True indeed that the annual unemployment rate has marginally declined compared to the pandemic period but the structural concerns such as high rates of youth unemployment, high unemployment rates within the educated, increased vulnerability due to rising self-employment and erosion of rights of regular salaried workers, continue to remain as dark spots in India’s labour market.

THESE days talking about rights of people as individuals or as groups defined by specific identities, marginalised due to cultural and reasons other than that related to work is acceptable and seems fashionable but raising issues of workers is something which is considered to be dangerous! All oppressed people can legitimately raise their voice for their right and dignity but not workers who are exploited by capital, an impersonal systemic class rule.