Workers rights

    Istock 2221808454 Credit Elena Alex Photo 500 Min

    A bitter harvest: female sugarcane workers ‘pushed’ into having hysterectomies

    The practice of female sugarcane workers in Maharashtra state undergoing unnecessary hysterectomies, in part driven by a financial need to avoid sick days due to menstrual problems and pregnancy, still persists, allege campaigners, despite a state government-commissioned report in 2019 urging greater action to eradicate it.

    By Orchie Bandyopadhyay on 11 August 2025

    Istock 1575785575 Credit Muhammad Farhad 500 Min

    Bharat Bandh sees over 250 million workers join nationwide strike against ‘anti-worker’ policies

    On 9 July, 250 million workers from diverse sectors in India – including banking, insurance, postal services and coal mining – participated in a nationwide general strike called by a forum of 10 central trade unions. The strike, or ‘Bharat Bandh’, was held in protest against what the unions describe as “anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national pro-corporate policies” of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led Union Government.

    By Orchie Bandyopadhyay on 11 August 2025

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