Labour Codes may get implemented before April 1: Report

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment (Independent Charge), Santosh Kumar Gangwar (Image Source: PIB)

The four labour codes passed by Parliament in September 2020 may get implemented ahead of April 1 as planned earlier, The Hindu reported on January 13.

The Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, were passed by Parliament in 2020, whereas the Code on Wages was passed during the monsoon session of Parliament in 2019.

Twenty nine central labour laws have been consolidated into four codes on occupational safety, minimum wages, and social security.

The four labour codes were earlier expected to be rolled out by April 1.

Apurva Chandra, Labour and Employment Secretary, on January 12 said the rules framed under the codes would be finalised by January-end. Once the rules were notified, the codes would come into effect, the news report noted.

On January 11, ten Central trade unions – the All-India Trade Union Congress, the Indian National Trade Union Congress, the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, the All-India United Trade Union Centre, the Trade Union Coordination Committee, the Self Employed Women’s Association, the All-India Central Council of Trade Unions, the Labour Progressive Federation and the United Trade Union Congress had issued a joint statement on boycotting the virtual meeting of January 12, which the Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar held to discuss the occupational safety and social security rules, the news report said.