International Labour Law Conference on Labour Rights & Decent Work in the Retial and Service

An International Conference was organized by Ms. Revathy R., Ph.D. Scholar, Saveetha School of Law, with the support and guidance of the Patron, Prof. Dr. Asha Sundram, Principal, Saveetha School of Law, Chennai, Convenor Prof. Dr. Petikam Sailaja, Co Convenor Dr. B. Jeyaprabha , Associate Professor in New Moot Court Hall, Saveetha School of Law on 26.03.2026 from 9 am onwards. The conference commenced with the rendition of Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, followed by the Welcome Address and felicitation of the distinguished guests.The first resource person, Mr. M. Joseph Sebastian Saint Jean, Chief Consultant & Trainer, Aattral Management Consultants, Chennai, delivered an insightful session on the effectiveness of labour legislations. He elaborated on the role of the Government and employers in safeguarding employee rights and ensuring the provision of social security benefits, with special reference to the retail and service sectors. The second resource person, Mr. Raja Prakash, B.A., B.L., Panel ‘A’ Advocate, District Legal Services Authority, Thiruvallur, delivered a lecture on the New Labour Codes with special reference to the retail sector. He explained the major reforms introduced under the new labour codes and their implications for employers and employees in the retail industry. The third resource person, Mr. R. R. Ganesh, Private Secretary/Assistant Director (Retd.), Sub Regional Office, ESIC Corporation, Madurai, delivered a detailed lecture on the role of the Director in the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). Drawing from his extensive professional experience, he explained the practical aspects of ESIC functioning, cases related to retail workers, and the reasons why many retail workers do not approach courts in cases of rights violations. This was followed by an online session delivered by Dr. Pavlo Kucher, Associate Professor, Department of Tourism, Ivan Bobersky Lviv State University of Physical Culture, Lviv, Ukraine. He discussed the challenges faced by workers in the retail and tourism industries during wartime in Ukraine, providing an international perspective on labour issues.

All four sessions were highly enlightening and informative. The speakers also clarified various doubts and issues raised by the participants, making the sessions highly interactive. This was followed by paper presentations, in which 43 external participants and 8 participants from Saveetha School of Law presented their research papers. The programme concluded with the National Anthem. Overall, the conference was a great success, providing valuable academic and practical insights into labour laws, retail sector challenges, social security, and international labour issues.