Poverty and hunger affect life chances, with class and caste divisions exacerbating the impact of disasters. In her article on India’s 2020 lockdown, Camille Buat reveals how the state favoured capital over labour, thereby weakening informal workers. Gender and race also play crucial roles. Louisa Acciari examines gender inequality in Latin America during the pandemic, focusing on marginalised domestic workers. Clement Masakure and Duncan Money’s article investigates the 1972 Hwange Colliery Disaster in Rhodesia, highlighting the disregard for the lives of African miners. All of the articles reveal the power structures that shape workers’ fates. The interplay of capital, labour and profit shapes disasters, frames resistance and allocates opportunities, regardless of setting or worker identity.