Biggest blow to workers’ rights since Independence: INC on new labour codes

The Indian National Congress (INC) condemned the Centre for fully operationalizing four labour codes through gazette notifications on 8 and 9 May, alleging the Narendra Modi government pushed through 'anti-worker' reforms to favor corporations. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of delaying the notification until after state assembly elections concluded, describing the move as a 'cowardly' tactic. He claimed the codes—Code on Wages, Industrial Relations Code, Code on Social Security, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code—will institutionalize insecure employment, including hire-and-fire policies and limited unionization space. The INC accused the government of drafting and implementing the reforms without consulting labour organizations or convening the Indian Labour Conference since 2015. Kharge called the codes the 'greatest setback for workers’ rights since Independence' and outlined Congress’s alternative 'Shramik Nyay' agenda, which includes expanding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to urban areas, introducing a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day, and providing universal healthcare coverage up to Rs 25 lakh. The Centre defended the reforms as a necessary overhaul to simplify India’s complex labour laws, improve ease of doing business, and extend protections to both organized and unorganized workers. The four codes, effective from 21 November 2025, consolidate 29 existing laws to modernize regulations, ensure minimum wages, and expand social security coverage. However, labour unions and opposition parties have opposed the reforms, arguing they weaken protections against arbitrary retrenchment, reduce collective bargaining rights, and encourage contractual employment. Critics claim the new laws prioritize corporate interests over worker welfare, while the government insists the changes will streamline compliance mechanisms and benefit the broader workforce. The debate highlights deep divisions over labour policy direction in India, with the INC pushing for stronger protections and the government emphasizing modernization and economic growth.