ActionAid Association expresses deep concern over the escalating labour situation at the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) Panipat Refinery & Petrochemical Complex in Haryana. News reports of prolonged protests by contract workers, allegations of excessive working hours, wage-related grievances, unsafe conditions, and recent incidents of violence are deeply troubling..

Industrial growth should not come at the cost of workers’ safety, dignity and rights. Contract workers — many of whom migrate from economically vulnerable backgrounds — are entitled to fair wages, reasonable working hours, overtime compensation as per law, safe working conditions, and access to basic amenities. Allegations of accidents and serious injuries further underscore the urgent need for strict adherence to occupational safety standards and transparent accountability.

We call upon the refinery management, contractors, worker representatives, and the Haryana administration to engage in immediate, good-faith dialogue and arrive at a swift, just, and peaceful resolution. There must be an independent assessment of workplace safety conditions, full compensation and support to affected workers and families, and mechanisms to prevent recurrence.

Workers face precarious conditions, shrinking social protections, and deep uncertainty about survival and livelihoods. These hardships are real, material, and deeply felt and they form the immediate context of popular discontent and protest.

Yet this is precisely where we must ask an uncomfortable but necessary question: while we should be supporting the will of the Iranian people and stand with them in internationalist solidarity, should we remain silent on the continued imperialist assaults and engineering of the Iranian economy and people’s living conditions through sanctions and bombing attacks. Would it not be a grave injustice to blindly accept liberal media narratives?

ActionAid Association stands in solidarity with issues raised in Panipat and urges all stakeholders to prioritise dialogue over confrontation. We all take pride in India’s development, especially when it is grounded in justice, equity, and respect for labour rights. Ensuring dignity at work is not optional — it is foundational to inclusive growth and social stability.