The new labour law reforms are a significant step for India’s working class, said the workers’ union on Saturday. The government has replaced the earlier 29 labour codes with four new labour codes, making the regulatory framework more streamlined and effective for the workforce.
The four Labour Codes include 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. Speaking to IANS, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh’s (BMS) Girish Chandra Arya, All India Secretary, in charge of the financial sector, lauded the labour codes and expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Labour Minister.
Arya described the decision “as a significant step for the country’s working class”. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, long-pending labor reforms have been implemented, benefiting millions of workers in the country,” he added.
A BMS delegation had earlier met with the Union Minister of Labour and Employment, the Ministry of Human Resources, and discussed various aspects of the labour codes. The organisation stated that numerous suggestions related to workers’ interests were made to the government, many of which have been incorporated into the labour codes.
“Positive dialogue between the government and labour organisations is essential for the success of labour reforms,” said Arya, while also emphasising the need for “proper implementation of the codes, while taking into account workers’ rights, safety, and social security”.
General Secretary Ravindra Himte told IANS that Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh will continue to work for the protection of the interests of the workers of the country and will provide constructive cooperation in the effective implementation of the labour codes.
Gopal Krishna Mallik, General Secretary of the Angul Aluminium Mazdoor Sangh, Odisha, stated that the changes in the labour regulations will significantly benefit workers. “These new provisions will ensure timely and enhanced wages, minimum wages for all workers, equal opportunities and equal pay for women, social security benefits, and free health check-ups,” Mallik told IANS.
BMS District President Prashant Kumar Sahu also welcomed the reforms and highlighted a key provision regarding gratuity. “As per the new law, employees will now be eligible for gratuity after just one year of service instead of five years. This will be a major benefit for workers,” Sahu told IANS.
