THE recurring incidents of tunnel collapses in India are a stark reminder of the country’s appalling record on construction safety. The latest tragedy – the collapse of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana, resulting in the deaths of trapped construction workers – is a grim testament to the disregard for human life that pervades the construction industry.

As workers, we are all too familiar with the risks and hazards of construction sites. But tunnel collapses represent a particularly egregious example of the industry's willingness to sacrifice workers’ lives at the altar of profit maximisation.

The Srisailam tunnel collapse, the Uttarkashi tunnel disaster, and other major accidents in recent years raise urgent questions about the safety of workers employed in such large-scale infrastructure projects. These accidents expose not only the inadequacy of workplace safety laws but also the frequent violations and lax enforcement of existing legal provisions.

Tunnel collapses have once again revealed the disastrous consequences of handing over public infrastructure projects – both at the state and central levels – to private corporate contractors, often through deregulated and liberalised frameworks. This shift away from State-run public works departments has had devastating implications for worker safety and human lives.

The Modi government’s favoured contractors for tunnel construction projects have shown a shocking disregard for safety, even in the face of deadly accidents. One glaring example is Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, the flagship company of the Jaypee Group, which was awarded the SLBC tunnel boring contract. When questioned by reporters, the founder-chairman of the Jaypee Group brazenly dismissed the tragedy, stating, “Accidents happen in difficult projects like these!” He further downplayed the loss of life by remarking, “In my life, I’ve seen six or seven accidents – at Tehri, in Bhutan, in J&K... it’s just part of the job.”

Such brazen and unapologetic remarks from top executives of infrastructure companies reveal the alarming level of impunity they enjoy – enabled by the cozy relationship between the government and the corporate-communal nexus.

Indian construction workers are experiencing an alarming rate of fatalities – not just in tunnel collapses, but also in building collapses, bridge accidents, and expressway crashes – highlighting the immense risks they face every day on the job.

The lives of Indian construction workers are not mere statistics. They are husbands, wives, parents, and children who deserve dignity, respect, and protection. It is time we raise our voices and unleash widespread protest against government policies that enable this catastrophic human tragedy.

Migrant workers are often the worst victims of such accidents. In the Bangalore building collapse, all nine workers who died were migrants. In the Mizoram bridge collapse, all the deceased workers were migrants from Malda district in West Bengal. Similarly, in Srisailam, Thane, and Uttarkashi, the workers who died or were trapped were predominantly migrants. These recurring accidents, especially those involving migrant workers, underline the urgent need for robust labour laws and strict enforcement mechanisms.

However, the Modi-led NDA government at the centre has instead diluted and weakened existing labour protections. It has repealed 29 labour laws and consolidated them into four labour codes. For example, the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act (ISMWA) and the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 have been subsumed under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code. Given that a large proportion of construction and migrant workers are employed through contractors, these changes will only embolden employers and contractors to exploit workers with greater impunity.

LABOUR CODES ENDANGER SAFETY

Construction workers who are injured in workplace accidents are entitled to compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Act, as mandated by the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act. However, the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) has severely diluted these provisions. A large number of construction workers will no longer be entitled to compensation under the new Code. For instance, workers involved in alterations or repairs of buildings may not be eligible for compensation. Additionally, the Code only applies to buildings that are more than one storey in height or at least twelve feet from the ground level to the apex of the roof. Similarly, workers engaged in specific sectors such as oil and gas installations are entirely excluded.

Several critical provisions have been deliberately omitted, depriving migrant workers of their previously guaranteed rights. Under the now-repealed Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, the law applied to any establishment employing five or more migrant workers. The OSHWC Code raises this threshold to ten workers. This change has major implications: according to the 6th Economic Census (2013–14), 55.86 million establishments—accounting for 95.5 per cent—employ only 1–5 workers. As a result, millions of workers, including a vast number of migrants, are excluded from the protections that were available under the earlier Act.

Moreover, the OSHWC Code includes inter-state migrant workers within the broader definition of contract workers, eliminating many provisions that were earlier specifically intended to protect them. The threshold for the number of contract workers required for coverage under the law has also been increased – from 20 to 50 workers – excluding yet another large section of the construction workforce from its scope.

The Modi government passed the Labour Codes between 2019 and 2020 but could not implement them due to strong opposition from the working class, in which construction workers played a critical role. However, emboldened by its third consecutive term in power, the Modi-led NDA government is reportedly moving toward implementing these Labour Codes. In response, the joint platform of trade unions is once again gearing up for a strong resistance. At the National Convention of Workers held in Delhi on March 18, 2025, it was resolved to launch immediate protest demonstrations once the Labour Codes are notified for implementation, culminating in a countrywide general strike on May 20, 2025.

The Construction Workers Federation of India (CWFI) will launch an extensive nationwide campaign highlighting workers' safety issues and reaching out to every construction worker in the country. As part of this build-up, the CWFI observed a National Demands Day on March 26, 2025, with a special focus on safety. Initial reports indicate that Demands Day was observed in several states including Kerala, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, and others. This marks the beginning of a massive campaign leading up to the general strike on May 20, 2025.

The Construction Workers Federation of India calls upon all construction workers across the country to join the protest demonstrations and the general strike en masse. It urges all its committees, down to the grassroots level, to reach out to all members, their families, and the broader construction workforce with the following demands and mobilise them to participate in the general strike:

DEMANDS:

1. Scrap the Labour Codes. Strengthen the Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Act, 1996 and the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1970.
2. Increase accountability. Hold contractors, builders, and government agencies accountable for workplace accidents and ensure stringent punishment for criminal negligence.
3. Immediately revoke the licenses of contractors involved in recurring accidents.
4. Enact and enforce stricter safety protocols to protect workers at construction sites.
5. Ensure timely and adequate compensation to the families of deceased workers, along with the provision of secure government jobs for dependents.
6. Mandate independent safety audits and regular inspections to ensure compliance with safety norms.
7. Strengthen geological investigations and risk assessments prior to the commencement of construction projects.
8. Implement real-time monitoring systems to detect early signs of structural instability and prevent disasters.

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable GingerRephraseRephrase with Ginger (Ctrl+Alt+E)Edit in Ginger