Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked whether these four labour codes, which came into force on Friday, can actually turn the five fundamental demands of Indian workers into reality.
Photo: IANS
The Opposition Congress on Saturday questioned the effectiveness of the four new labour codes, saying the government has merely repackaged the existing 29 labour laws and is portraying it as revolutionary reforms even though the rules for their implementation have not yet been notified.
In a social media post on X, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh asked whether these four labour codes, which came into force on Friday, can actually turn the five fundamental demands of Indian workers into reality.
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He listed the demands as follows: National minimum wage of ₹400 per day, including MGNREGA; Right to Health Act under which universal health coverage of ₹25 lakh will be provided; Employment Guarantee Act for urban areas; Comprehensive social security for all unorganized workers—including life insurance and accident insurance; Commitment to end contract labour systems in core functions of government departments.
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Ranesh further suggested that the Modi government should learn from the Congress government in Karnataka and the former party-led government in Rajasthan, which he said had taken pioneering steps towards 21st century labour reforms by enancting special laws for gig workers.
He also noted that these laws were brought even before the new labour codes came into effect.
The Congress reaction came a day after the central government announced the implementation of 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 Government termed the implementation of the labour codes a “historic decision”. It said that the reforms rationalise the 29 central labour laws, expands the special security cover of millions of employees and simplifies the pre-independance regulatory system.
Calling it “one of the most comprehensive and progressive labour-oriented reforms” since Independence, Prime Minister Modi said that the decision will greatly empower the workers and promote ‘Ease of Doing Business’
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