The four labour codes are – Code on Wages 2019, Code on Social Security 2020; Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020; and Industrial Relations Code 2020. The codes were framed by the Centre by subsuming 29 of 44 Central labour laws with the objective of reinforcing trade and investment and facilitating ease of doing business by even decriminalising certain offences done by the employers.

The Centre has been maintaining that these were much desired labour reforms to make ease of doing business in the country and are also in the interest of the workforce. However, the joint platform of 10 CTUs– INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC – has been alleging that the codes are anti-labour and pro-corporate, and their implementation would reduce the workforce to economic slaves.

The Union government hopes that it would not have problem in rolling out the labour codes even in the opposition ruled states, since the last major state – West Bengal has recently agreed to frame its draft rule as soon as possible. It is worth mentioning that West Bengal had earlier objected to the four labour codes. The Centre hopes that the other two states – Meghalaya and Nagaland – who are yet to frame their respective rules, would soon be ready with their draft rules.

Sources in the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment said that Centre and the States are almost ready with their rules. All the 8 Union Territories and 25 out of 28 states have already framed their rules, and hence there would not be much trouble on account of the Central and the state rules. One of the major hurdles in the way of implementation of the four labour codes have been the constitutional provision under which labour is in the concurrent list, and both the Centre and States require their rules.

The progress so far, clearly indicates that even the opposition ruled states, have ultimately agreed to implement the four controversial labour codes, thought these are being resisted by the joint platform of the 10 CTUs.

A senior official in the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has been reported saying that the government has been successful in sensitizing the states about the need for implementing the labour codes. The regional meeting held in September-October with different states have been beneficial in taking the views of all stakeholders. The states are ready to implement their respective rules within the framework of labour codes, he said.

On the other hand, the joint platform of 10 CTUs have in a letter to the Union Minister of Labour and Employment has said several of the issues of the workers remain unresolved and in this backdrop implementation of the four labour codes would further worsen the living condition of the workers.

Ever since the codes were passed in the Parliament of India in 2019 and 2020, the joint platform of the CTUs has been protesting the codes and even resorted to all India strike actions in the past. Even last month on September 23, thousands of workers marched through several towns and cities of the country to protest against the labour codes demanding their repeal.

The Central trade union had observed September 23 as black day. While demanding for scrapping of the codes, the trade union leaders said that the codes were passed in the Parliament without discussion during the pandemic for favour businesses, Corporate, and Multinational Companies.

The joint platform of the 10 CTUs and the farmers unions are planning to go for an all India strike action on November 26 against the four labour codes and also the anti-farmer policies of the government. (IPA Service)