Modi govt presided over 'widespread depredation' of India's workers: Congress

Congress general secretary criticizes Modi government for harming Indian workers through declining wages, anti-worker policies, and MGNREGA cuts.

The Congress on Thursday (May 1, 2025) alleged that the last 11 years have seen the Modi government preside over “widespread depredation” of India's workers, inflicting injustices such as "declining real wages, anti-worker labour codes and throttling of MGNREGA”.

On International Workers Day, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the path-breaking gig worker welfare measures in Telangana and Karnataka are only the beginning and the Indian National Congress envisions safe and secure employment for all of India's working people.

"The last eleven years have seen the Modi Government preside over the widespread depredation of India's workers, aided and abetted by the Government's own policies," he said in a statement.

Mr. Ramesh said there have been at least five major injustices inflicted upon workers in India over the last decade.

Listing out the injustices, Mr. Ramesh flagged "declining real wages" and pointed out that Labour Bureau data shows that between 2014-15 and 2022-23, real wages of agricultural workers rose by an annual average of only 0.8%, and just 0.2% for non-agricultural workers.

"For construction workers, real wage growth was actually negative. Even salaried workers have not been spared - according to PLFS data, after adjusting for inflation, salaried workers made 12% less in 2022-23 than they did in 2017-18," he said.

Mr. Ramesh also accused the government of bringing in anti-workers labour code and rise in contractualisation.