Japanese Lawmakers Visit India to See Worker Protection and Skills Projects in Action

At the Urban Company Skilling Centre in Ghitorni, demonstrations showed how platform workers receive training in technical skills, service standards and safe working practices.

Conversations with workers, visits to an e-waste recycling facility and demonstrations of training for platform workers gave Japanese parliamentarians a close look at how Japan-supported International Labour Organization (ILO) projects operate in India. A six-member delegation from the Japanese Parliamentarians' League on ILO Activities visited from 13 to 18 September 2026, exploring efforts to protect children, make workplaces safer, support formal employment and extend social protection to people working in emerging forms of employment.

Led by Norihisa Tamura, the League's Chair and Japan's former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, the delegation included representatives from different political parties. The programme, supported by the Embassy of Japan and the ILO, combined policy discussions with workplace visits, giving members opportunities to hear from government representatives, employers, workers and project beneficiaries about both progress and continuing challenges.

Workers Share Their Experiences of Japan-Funded Projects

At the closing event for two Japan-funded projects, parliamentarians heard about efforts to advance formalization and eliminate child labour through cooperation with the Government of India, employers' and workers' organizations, and project partners. The initiatives were Promoting Rights and Social Inclusion through Organization and Formalization (PRS) and Policies, Partnerships, Learning & Local Empowerment (PPLL), with workers and other beneficiaries describing their experiences and the changes they had seen through the projects.

Separate exchanges with Indian employers' and workers' organizations explored the importance of social dialogue and partnerships in turning labour standards into everyday practice. Tamura said direct conversations helped the delegation understand how ILO principles were being put into action, alongside the difficulties that remain, and expressed hope that the experience would strengthen Japan–ILO cooperation in protecting workers as employment conditions change.

E-Waste Recycling Brings Workplace Safety Into Focus

A visit to Deshwal Waste Management in Manesar gave the delegation a closer view of recycling operations and efforts to support the transition from informal e-waste work to more formal and safer employment. The facility is supported through the Japan-funded E-safe initiative, which provided the context for examining how occupational safety and health measures connect with the work carried out across recycling operations and supply chains.

Seeing the recycling process first-hand brought the discussion of decent work into a specific workplace, where the delegation could learn about safety measures and the practical steps involved in improving working conditions. The visit formed part of the programme's broader focus on connecting international labour standards with locally delivered initiatives that address the circumstances workers face in their jobs.

Platform Workers Show Why Skills and Social Protection Matter

At the Urban Company Skilling Centre in Ghitorni, demonstrations showed how platform workers receive training in technical skills, service standards and safe working practices. Discussions examined the realities of platform employment and the role of digital systems, skills development and social protection, including efforts to connect workers with e-Shram, the national database of unorganised workers launched by the Government of India in 2021.

The delegation met Kaori Nakamura-Osaka, the ILO's Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, to discuss Japan–ILO cooperation and decent work across the region. She described the partnership as a shared commitment to ensuring workers are not left behind as economies and employment evolve, emphasizing the value of combining international labour standards with practical solutions developed locally.

The League is a cross-party group of Japanese Diet members that supports decent work, good working conditions and international labour standards through its engagement with the ILO. Its study visits bring parliamentarians into contact with governments, employers, workers and other stakeholders in countries receiving ILO support, with the India programme offering direct insight into child protection, formalization, workplace safety and the changing needs of platform workers.