Work

Interchangeable usage of ‘organized-unorganized’ and ‘formal-informal’ classifications: An analysis through the social security lens

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The interchangeability of the ‘unorganized sector’ with ‘informal sectors’, the synonymous usage of ‘unorganized workers’ and ‘informal workers’ and assuming the organized sector workers as formal workers, complicates the development and implementation of the industrial and labor policy in India. Further, while the sectors are demarcated on several factors like employee size, the type of business structure, and the kind of ownership; the organized and unorganized workers are differentiated on their sectoral engagement, with access to social security being the prime factor, without specifying the other terms and conditions of employment like paid leaves, and a written contract. Such ambiguities, on the one hand, and oversimplifications, on the other, impede effective policy making and implementation, hindering workers’ access to labor benefits, especially the ones outside the ambit of the labor law framework. Hence, the authors hypothesize that conceptual and definitional ambiguities in industrial and labor policies prejudice the interests of workers while serving the financial interests of the employers. Against this backdrop, through this analytical research, they aim to suggest specific parameters for classifying establishments and workers based on the critical analysis of the international and national literature, especially government reports.

Source: Social Sciences & Humanities Open

DOI: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101854

Authors: Roopali Shekhawat, Sandhya Kumari

Institution: Galgotias University

Language: English

Topic: Labor Law and Work Dynamics

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,180