Labour Legislation Under the Colonial Period and Its Post-Colonial Transitional Developments - A Legal and Historical Perspective

Abstract

India has rich natural resources and labour force. India utilises its natural resources with its labour force. However, this was not the case during the colonial period. British utilized the natural resources and labour force of India for their own benefit. To ensure effective utilization of the labour force of India, the British enacted various labour legislations for such purpose. Even though those enactments were the products of the imperial parliament of British, served labour welfare and established the foundation for labour welfare legislation in India. Various enactments of the British remained in force for a long period of time even after the independence. Now, India codified various labour legislations into labour codes. Such codes contain the essence of previous labour legislation which have British origin. In addition to this, the parliament of India has added many more legislative schemes that will be implemented when all the new four labour codes are enforced. So, the role of colonial labour legislation in the development of labour welfare in India is undeniable and unforgettable from a historical perspective. In this Article the authors narrate the evolution of labour laws from the perspective of colonial and post-colonial era.