CONTENT

Page No
Declaration
Certificate
Acknowledgements
Table of Cases I
Table of Statutes V
Foreign Statute VII
International Instruments VIII
A. Introduction i
B. Statement of Research Problem iv
C. Importance of the Research Problem vi
D. Justification behind Selecting the Present Research Problem x
E. Scope of Research xv
F. Hypothesis xxiii
G. Review of Literature xxix
H. Research Methodology Adopted xxxiii
I. Scheme of Doctoral Thesis xxxv
CHAPTER I: AGRICULTURAL LABOUR: NEED FOR
CONCEPTUAL CLARITY
1.1 Introduction 01
1.2 Indian agricultural labour in retrospect 03
1.3 Agricultural Labour in India: Need for Conceptual Clarity 09
1.3.1 Agricultural Labour: Concept and Meaning 10
1.3.2 Statutory Meaning of the term Agricultural Labour 17
1.3.3 Concept of Agriculture 18
1.3.4 Concept of Workmen/ Worker under Labour Laws 19

1.4. Classification of Agricultural Labour 25

1.5. Agricultural Labour and its characteristic features 40
1.6 Some frequently used terminology in law 45
1.6.1 Agriculture 45
1.6.2 Agricultural dispute 45
1.6.3 Agricultural land 46
1.6.4 Agricultural Tribunal 47
1.6.5 Employer 47
1.6.6 Agricultural family 47
1.6.7 Landowner 47
1.6.8 (i) Cultivating tenant 48
(ii) personally cultivate 48
1.6.9 Small Farmer 48
1.6.10 Landlord 48
CHAPTER II: INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO
PERTAINING TO AGRICULTURAL LABOUR
AND LAW: A BIRD’S EYEVIEW
2.1 Introduction 50
2.2 United Nations and the Law Governing Agricultural Labour 52
2.2.1 International Labour Standards supporting the Right to 59
Bargain Collectively
2.2.2 Hours of Work and International Standards 59
2.2.3 Food Security and Food Sovereignty 59
2.2.4 Education and Training for Agricultural Labour 60
2.2.5 Traditional, Alternative, and Sustainable Farming Techniques 61
2.2.6 Sound Management of Chemicals in Agriculture 62
2.2.7 Challenge of tackling Equality at Work 62
2.2.8 Elimination of Discrimination in respect of 63
Employment and Occupation
2.2.9 Safety and Health in Agriculture 63
2.2.10 International commitment towards Inspection of 66
Labour at Workplace
2.2.11 United Nation and the Protection against Unemployment 67
2.2.12 Plantations Convention, 1958 68
2.2.13 Rural Workers’ Organisations Convention, 1975 68
2.2.14 Convention on Right of Association (Agriculture), 1921 68
2.2.15 Convention on Workmen’s Compensation in Agriculture, 1921 69
2.3 Agriculture Labour and Law in Morocco 69
2.3.1 Laws pertaining to Freedom of Association in Morocco 70
2.3.2 Laws pertaining to Organize and Bargain Collectively 72
2.3.3 Laws pertaining to Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory 78
 Labour
2.4 United States and Laws for Agriculture Labour 78
2.4.1 Laws relating to Agriculture Labour in Utah 84
2.4.2 Agricultural Labour Laws in British Columbia 85
2.4.3 Laws pertaining to Agricultural Labour in the 87
State of California
2.4.4 Federal Laws available in United States for protecting 90
and promoting interest of Agricultural Labour
2.4.4.1 Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay 90
2.4.4.2 Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers 90
2.5 Agricultural Labour Laws in China 91
2.6 Agricultural Labour Laws in Bangladesh 94
2.7 Position of Agricultural Labour in Zimbabwean law 96
2.8 Agricultural Labour Law in Spain 101
Chapter III: LAWS AND SCHEMES GOVERNING
AGRICULTURAL LABOUR IN INDIA: A
CRITICAL EVALUATION
3.1 Introduction 108
3.2 Agricultural Labour in India: Some challenges 111
3.2.1 Freedom of Association and
the Right to Collective Bargaining 112
3.2.2 Discrimination and Equal Remuneration 113
3.2.3 Child Labour and Agricultural Sector 115
3.2.4 Forced Labour in Agriculture Occupation 117

3.3 Laws covering Agricultural Labour 121

3.3.1 The Societies Registration Act, 1860 121
3.3.2 Agricultural Labour and the Trade Unions Act, 1926 125
3.3.3 The Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923
and Agricultural Labour 128
3.3.4 The Minimum Wages Act, 1948: Its applicability to
Agricultural Labour 130
3.3.5 The Plantations Labour Act, 1951 Vis-à-vis
Agricultural Labour 132
3.3.6 The Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous 135
Provision Act, 1952 and Agricultural Labour
3.3.7 Agricultural Labour and the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 135
3.3.8 Relevance of Insecticides Act, 1968 to Agricultural Labour 139
3.3.9 Impact of Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 on
Agricultural Labour 140
3.3.10 Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and its
effect on Agricultural Labour 142
3.3.11 Dangerous Machines (Regulations) Act, 1983 Vis-à-vis
Agricultural Labour 147
3.3.12 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural 148
Employment Guarantee Act, 2005
3.3.13 Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008: 149
Some Salient Features with special emphasis on
Agricultural Labour
3.3.14 Absence of Statutes for Protection of 154
Women Labourers in Agriculture
3.3.15 Protection of Child Worker in Agriculture via 157
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
3.4 Initiatives taken at State Level for Agricultural Labour 159
3.4.1 Kerala Agricultural Workers’ Act, 1974 159
3.4.2 The Tamil Nadu Agricultural Labourers Farmers 162
(Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2006
3.5 Various Schemes/ Programs projected for Agricultural Labour 164
3.5.1 Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana 164
3.5.2 Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana 165
3.5.3 Indira Awas Yojana 167
3.5.4 Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana 168
3.5.5 Krishi Shramik Samajik Suraksha Yojana 2001 169
3.5.6 Food for Work Program 169
3.5.7 Annapurna Scheme 169
3.5.8 Minimum Support Price Policy 170
3.5.9 Public Distribution of Food Grains 171

3.6 Agricultural Labour: Need for Special Legislation 172

CHAPTER IV: PROPOSED CENTRAL LEGISLATION
FOR AGRICULTURAL LABOUR IN INDIA
4.1 Introduction 175
4.2 Proposed Bill for Agricultural Labour Conditions
of Work and Social Security 176

4.3 Main Recommendations Relating to Conditions of Work 220

4.3.1 Women Labour 221
4.3.2 Adolescent 222
4.3.3 Migrant Labour 223
4.3.4 Disadvantaged Labour 223

4.4 Availability of Records 225

4.5 Compensation in the Case of Injury 225
4.6 Implementation of Regulations and Dispute Resolution 226
4.7 Dispute Resolution Structure 228
4.8 Provisions for Social Security 229
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 231
Bibliography 243
Webliography 271