By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Though the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has demanded immediate rollout of the Code on Wages 2019, and the Code on Social Security 2020, opinions in the political leadership and the officials are still divided. BMS has created a fresh concern within the BJP-led Union Government under PM Narendra Modi, since the government supported BMS has actually voiced its concern about the two other Labour Codes – the Code on Industrial Relations 2020, and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions 2020 by terming many of the provisions therein anti-worker. The joint platform of 10 Central Trade Unions has already demanded the scrapping of all the four labour codes..
The dominant opinion in the government is that the four labour codes prepared by subsuming the 29 labour laws are an integrated package and therefore can’t be fragmented. Either these should be implemented all at a time or should not be implemented at all. If these are implemented in phased manner, may create more problems that could probably solve.
The two other demands of the BMS have actually alarmed the government. 159th Central Executive council meeting held in Bhopal on August 22-24, has passed a resolution urging that the Centre should immediately convene the Indian Labour Conference (ILC), the highest tripartite body on labour issues, which Modi government did not convene since 2015. The demand itself is a portraiture of the Union government as anti-labour, since the government brought the four labour code ignoring the ILC.
BMS president Hiranmay Pandya has said, “The ILC was last held in 2015. The ILC is the highest tripartite body under the Labour Ministry, and one of the best contributions of Indian democracy. After 2015, the world of employment has undergone significant changes in multiple dimensions. Technology, digital infrastructure, and digital transition have brought about many changes in social life and the economic scenario. There is an urgency to discuss labour issues in the highest decision-making body.”
Pandya said that the Code on Wages focuses on ensuring minimum wage and timely payment of wages, while the Code on Social Security broadens coverage for benefits, including Provident Fund, gratuity, maternity, and insurance for all type of workers, including gig and platform workers. Nevertheless, he also emphasized that BMS is opposing many clauses that are against workers’ interests in the Code of Industrial Relations, and in the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working conditions.
Criticism of the two labour codes has signalled that workers on the ground level are not yet ready to accept the labour codes without considerable modification in them. The joint platform of the 10 CTUs has already threatened to intensify their protest if government tries to implement them.
It is in this scenario, the Union government has started rethinking if phased implementation of the labour codes is possible, as it has been demanded by BMS. All these suggest that implementation of the codes will further be delayed until the government reached on final decision.
In the meantime, the Union government has been trying to show itself as championing the workers’ welfare in the country, just to mend its image as anti-labour. The government has launched several social security schemes recently.
Employment Linked Scheme (ELI) has finally been launched after a delay of one year on August 1, 2025 and which will be in operation until July 31, 2027 under Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM VBRY) on job creation. The Scheme is to be implemented through EPFO, and subsidy will be given to employers for every worker employed in quality job becoming member of EPFO. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has called for collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to assess the impact of the newly launched.
It should be noted that EPFO provides social security to workers though Provident Fund and Family Pension. But the problem is, over 90 per cent of jobs in India are informal jobs, both in the organised and unorganised sector. Through EPFO push, government is trying to show itself providing social security to workers. However, it is unfortunate that the scheme is not applicable for over 90 per cent of informal workers.
Centre has just launched another scheme named SPREE 2025 to extend social security net for workers under Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme. The special registration drive is open until December 31, 2025, which offers employers and workers a fresh opportunity to come under statutory social protection. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reaffirming the government’s commitment to worker welfare, said, “Our government is committed to the development of a generous and comprehensive social safety net for all workers.”
The initiative seeks to bring lakhs of unregistered employees, including those in contractual and temporary jobs, into the ESI fold, ensuring access to healthcare, maternity support, financial protection, and other benefits. Employers enrolling under SPREE 2025 will enjoy significant relaxations—no penalties or retrospective demands for past contributions, no inspections for earlier periods, and registration valid from the date declared by the employer.
In addition to SPREE 2025, the government has approved an Amnesty Scheme 2025, running from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, offering employers a one-time window to settle disputes and pending litigations under the ESI Act.
As for gig and platform workers (a subset of informal workers) are concerned, the government is saying the under the Code on Social Security, 2020 (which is yet to be rolled out) they are provided legal recognition and social security benefits. It was said that India’s gig workforce is projected to grow from 1 crore in 2024-25 to 2.35 crore by 2029-30. Nevertheless, out of 1 crore gig and platform workers only 3.37 lakhs have registered themselves so far on the e-Shram portal. The portal has registered around 30.98 lakh informal workers so far.
Government propaganda machinery is working to show the political leadership as pro-workers by focusing on social security schemes at present, in the hope to earn confidence of working class before the labour codes are implemented.
There has not been any change in the stand of BMS is a serious concern for the government. It has all along been supporting implementation of Code on Wages and the Code on Social Security, but against the implementation of Code on Industrial Relation and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions. (IPA Service)
