For students and young professionals stepping into their first jobs—especially in IT & ITeS, start-ups, and other white-collar workplaces—labour unions have long felt distant and outdated. Once a consequence of colonial industrialisation and a mainstay in post-independence labour struggles, unions have largely faded from the public imagination. Until even a few years ago, they were often associated more with fields and factory floors than corporate offices or tech parks, and seen as peripheral or irrelevant to the realities of India’s modern, post-liberalisation economy.
Shifting perceptions
However, this perception is beginning to change. As young graduates begin navigating workplace realities firsthand, issues such as fair wages, job security, and employee dignity can feel difficult to safeguard individually. This has prompted a closer look at the role collective structures can play in addressing such concerns. In this context, labour union leaders note that long-held views around unions’ character have evolved over time, and that their role is now being reassessed in the way organisations operate today. To underline the continued relevance of unions in influencing workplace policies, Suhas Adiga, General Secretary of the Karnataka State IT & ITeS Employees Union, points to recent developments across the country.
“Several states in India, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra, recently introduced laws mandating 12-hour shifts for IT employees. Due to strong pushback from our union, the Karnataka government withdrew the guidelines. However, these laws continue to exist in other states where the backlash wasn’t as strong.”
The case for collective action
According to Rahul Das, Secretariat Member of the All India IT & ITeS Employees Union, the fundamental purpose of unions is to provide workers with a collective voice, something that many young employees may otherwise lack early in their careers. “Through unions, workers can negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions as a collective. They also function as channels for grievance redressal, including cases of misbehaviour and those under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) framework,” he explains. Reinforcing this, Adiga recalls that before unions began emerging in white-collar sectors, particularly in IT companies, early-career professionals often had to deal with workplace concerns on their own. “Companies were able to require employees to work long hours without overtime pay and lay off large numbers of workers with little notice,” he reflects.
He adds that factors such as stagnant salaries, periodic layoffs, and challenges around work-life balance have, over time, contributed to greater interest in collective forums, especially in the IT & ITeS sector. Additionally, both freshers and experienced employees are becoming more aware of these issues and beginning to see value in collective action.
He also highlights how worker solidarity has evolved. “We rally support for workers’ causes, and express our solidarity with other workers’ movements across India and the world on online and social media platforms. We’ve also received support from national and international labour unions in a similar manner,” he recounts, noting that organising is now possible even in hybrid and remote work environments.
While some employees actively seek out unions, others are introduced to them through organised outreach efforts, including campaigns on social media and in public spaces, seminars, rallies, and online forums.
Terms of work
Both leaders agree that unions are necessary as India Inc continues to grapple with systemic issues such as long working hours, a lack of standardised labour policies, opaque appraisals, sudden layoffs, and limited channels for grievance redressal. They also argue that India’s four new labour codes, introduced to streamline 29 central labour laws and extend certain benefits, may weaken existing protections and alter the balance between employers and employees.
“For instance, under the new codes, if a strike is deemed illegal, workers may face wage deductions, disciplinary action, or even legal proceedings, creating a deterrent effect,” says Das. Adiga adds that greater flexibility for companies in setting working hours could lead to longer workdays in practice. The move from campus to full-time work can be a period of adjustment. Labour groups suggest that unions are one way to navigate this phase, offering a platform to better understand rights and address concerns collectively.