Indians are among the most overworked workers globally and earn the lowest minimum statutory wage in the Asia-Pacific region, except Bangladesh, according to a new report by the International Labour Organisation.
The report titled, Global Wage Report 2020-21: Wages and Minimum Wages in the Time of COVID-19, ranked India 5th in the world among countries with long working hours. It says that working hours in India can stretch up to 48 hours a week.
Commenting on the wages in India, the report futher said that the minimum statutory wages in India are among the lowest in the world. However, actual wages could differ particularly in the case of blue collar workers.
Netizens started talking about the working conditions in India soon after the findings of the report were published.
India also conducted a time use survey in 2019, the findings of which revealed that Indians spend less than one-tenth of their time in a day in leisure activities, and women get far less time than men.
The same survey also found that salaried and self-employed Indians spend more than 6 days a week on work-related activities.
The report comes at a time when the Indian government is planning to bring in new labour codes and introducing a 4-day work week. The implications of the new reforms are yet to be evaluated.