Indian trade unions take united step toward advancing maternity protection

The two-day training, held under the Japan-funded project “Promoting and Building Social Protection in South Asia”, equipped trade union leaders with knowledge, strategies, and advocacy tools to advance inclusive maternity protection and promote the ratification of ILO Convention No. 183 on Maternity Protection.

Convention No. 183, the most recent international standard on maternity protection, sets out five key elements: maternity leave, cash and medical benefits, health protection at the workplace, employment protection and non-discrimination, and breastfeeding arrangements. While India has yet to ratify the convention, unions emphasized the urgent need to close existing legislative and implementation gaps to ensure all women workers—especially those in the informal economy—can access comprehensive protection.

As a key outcome of the workshop, trade unions jointly committed to developing a Central Trade Union Recommendation on Maternity Protection. While the draft was discussed in the training, each union will now bring it back to their leadership for further internal consultation before agreeing on a final joint recommendation.

The draft components under discussion include coordinated actions:

• Upwards – National-level action: promote ratification and implementation of ILO Convention No. 183; establish an inter-union working group; and strengthen engagement with government and employers organizations to keep maternity protection high on the policy agenda.
• Downwards – Grassroots and union-level action: cascade training within unions; conduct awareness sessions with members and women workers in the informal economy; pilot initiatives in sectors such as construction, domestic work, and platform work; negotiate practical improvements at workplace level: and integrate maternity protection provisions into Collective Bargaining Agreements to ensure sustainable and enforceable protections for women workers.

By agreeing to collectively refine and finalize their recommendation, the Central Trade Unions signaled a joint commitment to advancing maternity protection in India. The process represents a new phase of coordinated policy advocacy, evidence-based dialogue, and grassroots mobilization that aims to bridge the gap between international standards and the realities of working women in India.

The ILO will continue to support this process with technical guidance, social dialogue facilitation, and capacity building to ensure that the final recommendation translates into stronger protections and progress toward the ratification of ILO Convention No. 183.

Maternity protection is not just a right—it is a foundation for gender equality, decent work, and healthier families. With this joint commitment, India’s trade unions have opened the door to meaningful and lasting change.