THERE has been a significant diffusion of production occurring in the world economy. Many call this phenomenon a shift from a US-led world economy to a “multipolar world economy”, but no matter what one thinks of this description, the fact of diffusion is indubitable.

There is need to ensure safe working conditions, mandatory rest breaks, and access to protective gear for workers in high-temperature environments.AS the sub-continent boils under extreme heat, Delhi touches 53°C and Nagpur crosses 56°C, deadly heat becomes the fate of the residents.

THE Karnataka state government has issued a notification extending the exemption for IT, ITES, Startups, Animation, Gaming, Computer Graphics, Telecom, BPO, KPO, and other knowledge-based industries from the Industrial & Establishment (Standing Orders) Act of 1946 for the next five years. This decision, despite strong opposition from trade unions and employees, continues a policy that has been in place for the past 25 years.The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has strongly condemned this move and has called on the state government to revoke the order immediately.

COMMODIFICATION of services is one of the major avenues of expanding the realm of capital in the neoliberal age. Commodity for Marx has no reference to corporeal reality. Something which is produced for sale whether it is goods or services does not make a conceptual difference in Marx’s notion of commodity. For Marx, commodity is a social relationship independent of its physical nature. The expansion of services in the count of GDP is partly because of commodification of services which were earlier supplied from a community or collectively owned pool.

Below we publish the reports and statements of various Communist and Workers parties on their performance in the recently concluded European Parliament elections