Journal of Economic and Social Dynamics

Open Access • Peer Reviewed • Monthly Publication

The Excluded Worker: Tracing the Structural Limits of India’s Labour Law in a Capitalist Economy

Authors: Gudla Sriharsha
Published: 2026-04-13
Pages: 1-16
DOI: 10.63721/26JESD0135
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Abstract

India’s labour law framework systematically excludes 82-90% of the workforce through coordinated legal mechanisms that prioritise capital flexibility over worker protection. This research demonstrates that exclu sion is not a regulatory gap, but rather an intentional design embedded in the CoSS 2020. Through doctrinal analysis of constitutional jurisprudence, empirical examination of published judicial data, and compara tive legal analysis of peer emerging economies, this study establishes five novel propositions: Constitution al Piercing Doctrine permits courts to disregard contractual classifications when they defeat fundamental rights; Algorithmic opacity violates Article 23’s forced labour prohibition; Multi-platform work intensifies subordination contrary to “independence” fictions; Published judicial delay data concentrates disadvantage on vulnerable workers; and CoSS 2020 represents deliberate policy choice favouring welfare-exclusion over employment rights. The research contributes a prescriptive framework for Algorithmic Due Process (ADP) as a mandatory constitutional standard, establishing that Indian labour law functions as a successful technology for institutionalising precarious labour within capitalist accumulation.

Copyright & License

© 2026 The Author(s). Published by WM Journals.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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