New labour codes biggest reforms in history of labour laws: Amit Shah

Union Home minister Amit Shah (file image)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended his greetings to all workers of the country over the implementation of the four Labour Codes on Friday, terming them the "biggest reforms" in the history of labour laws.

In a post on X, he said these codes, which guarantee minimum wages to workers, social security, equal opportunities for women workers, and legal recognition for gig and unorganised workers, will improve the standard of living for workers.

Shah remarked that the codes, crafted under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, represent "the biggest reform in the history of labour laws." At the same time, by accelerating the creation of a developed and self-reliant India, the codes would become a role model for labour laws around the world, the home minister added.

The Centre on Friday implemented the four Labour Codes, pending since 2020, introducing worker-friendly measures like a timely minimum wage for all and universal social security, including gig and platform workers, while allowing longer work hours, broader fixed-term employment, and employer-friendly retrenchment rules.

The four Labour Codes -- the Code of Wages (2019, Industrial Relations Code (2020), Code on Social Security (2020) and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020), which were passed by Parliament five years ago -- were notified on Friday to replace 29 fragmented laws with a unified and modern framework, and rules that will bring them into force with immediate effect will be issued shortly.

Key reforms include mandatory appointment letters to workers to ensure formalisation and job security; universal social security coverage, including to gig, platform, contract, and migrant workers, with PF, ESIC, and insurance benefits; statutory minimum wages and timely payment across all sectors; expanded rights and safety for women, including night-shift work and mandatory grievance committees; and free annual health check-ups for workers aged 40 and above.