The right to organize or the right to talk

This paper examines the role of Works Committees (WCs), a legally mandated structure in Indian factories with more than 100 workers. It asks if WCs have a role in promoting the internationally recognised right of workers to form and join trade unions - known as Freedom of association (FoA).

The paper examines the basis and meaning of FoA, and the relationship between FoA and another concept, social dialogue, which is not defned in international law. For the purposes of this paper, we use the ILO working defnition, which is “all types of negotiation, consultation or information sharing among representa-tives of governments, employers and workers on issues of common interest relating to economic and social policy”

Through a literature review, the paper examines the law on WCs, along with their historical development. It reviews contemporary practice, especially through the lens of projects undertaken by brands and civil society organisations (CSOs).