Government notifies four labour codes amidst bitter protest

After over five years of their enactment, Union Government has notified the four labour codes - The Code on Wages, 2019, The Industrial Relations Code, 2020, The Code on Social Security, 2020 and The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.  

The codification of 29 existing labour laws into four Labour Codes have been undertaken disregarding the bitter opposition of trade unions and workers and the legacy of workers struggle. 

The Code on Wages, 2019 merges the provisions of four existing laws- The Payment of Wages Act, 1936; The Minimum Wages Act, 1948; The Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. 

The Industrial Relations Code has amalgamated the relevant provisions of the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

The Code on Social Security incorporates existing nine Social Security Acts viz; The Employee's Compensation Act, 1923; The Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948; The Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952; The Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959; The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961; The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972; The Cine-Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981; The Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Cess Act, 1996 and; The Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008. 

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 has merged the relevant provisions of the 13 Central Labour Acts- The Factories Act, 1948; The Plantations Labour Act, 1951; The Mines Act, 1952; The Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1955; The Working Journalists (Fixation of Rates of Wages) Act, 1958; The Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961; The Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966; The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970; The Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976; The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979; The Cine-Workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1981; The Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986 and; The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.

The TISS and Kedar Das Institute of Labour and Social Studies had jointly organised a three-day residential training programme for labour organisers/trade union activists, who work among informal sector workers. The training programme wad held during 26- 28 February, 2022. 

Sessions were held on the history of the trade union movement in India, the structure of labour force in India, workers' rights in the constitutional framework, new four labour codes and their implications for workers in the informal sector, and issues, challenges and strategies of organising scheme workers, construction workers, domestic workers, and industrial workers.

Resource persons who addressed the sessions were Dr. Gopal Krishna, Advocate, Sukumar Damle, Prof. Yugal Rayalu, Rakhi Sehgal, trade Union activists and Prof. Pushpendra, besides trade Union leaders Ajay Kumar, and Gajnafar Nawab.