IIM Kozhikode Launches Centre For Employment Relations and Labour Studies
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode has set up the Centre for Employment Relations and Labour Studies (CERLS).
Among the many objectives, the research wing at IIM, Kozhikode will facilitate the transition of workers and economic units from the informal to the formal economy, while respecting workers’ fundamental rights and ensuring opportunities for income security. The centre will also look to promote the creation and preservation of sustainable enterprises as well as decent jobs in the formal economy.
The first conference by CERLS will take place in January 2024.
While emerging as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, India remains at the crossroad of the growth trajectory owing to the informal nature of her labour market.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment (Government of India) reports that around 84% of the working populace in the country is employed in the unorganized sector. Recently, the NITI Aayog, suggested that 7.7 million workers were engaged in the gig economy in the year 2020-21. It is only expected to rise to 23.5 million workers by 2029-30. To put the above numbers in perspective, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is also concerned that 50 percent of the global workforce and more than 90 percent of the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) are working and operating in the condition of informality . Moreover, India is yet to act at a policy level towards the implementation of the International Labour Conference (ILC) recommendation R204.
