Practically, what can trade unions do regarding the Labour Codes?
On March 18, 2025, the Joint Platform for Central Trade Unions is set to organise a convention on the four controversial Labour Codes, as the central government charts out the plan for their implementation by the end of the month. As trade unions prepare to resist the anti-worker Codes, a litany of challenges confronts them - from a lack of consensus on the final demands within the movement to the practical efficacy of organised protests by themselves. Yet, there are a few things that can be done.
Published on: 15 March 2025, 02:25 pm
NEARLY five years ago, the Union government enacted four Labour Codes - the Code of Wages (‘WC’) in 2019, and the Industrial Relations Code (‘IRC’), the Occupational Safety and Health and Working Conditions Code (‘OSHWCC’) and the Code on Social Security (‘SSC’) all in August 2020. Even though the Union government wanted to implement them on April 1 of various years like 2021, 2022, etc. it could not do so due to the non-formation of Rules under the four Labour Codes by many state governments.
The few Rules that were framed suffered from several deficiencies and there were significant divergences across the states. I have written on these issues extensively, including for this publication.
It is better to quote certain observations made by a study undertaken by the V. V. Giri National Labour Institute (‘VVNLI’), an autonomous research body attached with the Labour Ministry on the state of the Rules in 2023:
“… an objective analysis of these rules also indicates that in respect of many of the aspects, there is too much of divergence not only between the Central and State/UT Rules but also among the State rules. The same needs to be minimised in order to bring the required uniformity. Similarly, many of the State/UT rules under these Codes have left some of the vital aspects uncovered. Further, the rules of some of the States/UTs prima facie seem to go against the basic ethos and spirit of the Codes and may defeat the objective sought to be achieved by these Codes. All these aspects require the attention and a re-look by the concerned governments.”
Following this critical finding, stupendous efforts have been undertaken to rectify the errors and to frame the Rules in almost all the states. The Union government has been holding high-level meetings to assess the possibility of implementing the Codes by around March 31, 2025.
Keeping aside for a moment the technical difficulties in the formation of the Rules, one fact is clear: the four Labour Codes will be simultaneously implemented one of these days, as they are, without any dilution. The Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and other unions across the industries are now holding conventions, joint meetings, and internal meetings. to decide on the future course of action. All of them, including the Bhartiya Majdoor Sangh (‘BMS’) and its allies, oppose the Codes on the cardinal principle that they serve employers’ interests and do little for workers’ interests.