By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Even as the Central Trade Unions and farmers have started their month-long campaign and protests against the Draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 and Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025 to be culminated on November 26, 2025, the Centre has started pushing for early finalization of the National Labour and Employment policy. Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has called for a two-day meet of labour ministers of the States and Union Territories on November 11-12.
While CTUs have demanded withdrawal of the Draft Sharm Shaki Niti 2025, an official of the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has been quoted saying, “The two-day meet will see participation from all states and UTs. Our focus will be on the recently released Draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025. We aim to build consensus with states, as labour is as much a state subject as it is a central one. A lot of public comments have already been received, and they will be discussed at the meeting as well.”
Nevertheless, according the official, the issue of implementation of the four controversial labour codes that the Union Government had got passed in the Parliament of India in 2019 and 2020, which are yet put on hold due to stiff resistance from the CTUs, is not on the agenda.
This is the second such meet to be held in 2025. The first two-day meet was held in January, which had discussed the roadmap for implementation of the four controversial labour codes. At that time, after the meet, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said that 18 of the States and UTs have already implemented most of the reforms under the labour codes, while over 32 have pre-published draft rules under the four labour codes.
Since the Union Government has been implementing the labour codes one by one through backdoor without announcing their implementation, the CTUs suspect that the Draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025–National Labour and Employment Policy” is also being brought to facilitate the implementation of the four labour codes which they have been demanding to be scrapped.
Though the issue of implementation of the four controversial labour codes is no on the agenda, it is most likely to be discussed. An official has said, “Labour codes implementation is not part of the formal deliberations, however, if states wish to raise any aspect of the codes, they can be discussed. We’ve already held a meeting on the codes earlier.”
Review of the social security coverage across both the organized and unorganized sectors is on the agenda along with integration of all related schemes with the eShram portal. It should be noted that the government has already integrated 12 of the schemes with the eShram portal.
The chief objection of the CTUs, and other sectoral organisations and unions, such as All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), is that the Draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 seeks to change the basic framework of the governance of labour in the country from a regulatory body to merely an “employment facilitator”.
The Draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 was published by the Union Ministry of Labour on October 8, inviting the stakeholders, institutions, and members of the public to submit their feedback, comments, and suggestion within 20 days by October 27, 2025.
Union Government have neither consulted the CTUs nor the States and UTs of the country before preparing the Draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025. Indian Labour Conference (ILC), the highest tripartite body in the country for labour issues has also been sidelined by the Union Government, and no session of the ILC has been convened since 2015. The Draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 has been prepared without consultation, which made the CTUs suspicious about the real intention of the government behind the policy.
The All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has expressed concern over the Draft National Labour & Employment Policy, alleging that it ignores key worker issues and may legitimise anti-worker measures. AIBEA and CTUs say that the policy will affect the Trade Union Movement in the country.
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has also submitted its objection to the Draft Shram Shakti Niti’s proposed incorporation of entire workforce with a unified digital infrastructure and AI driven matching of skills and jobs, which the foundation believe would lockout large number of workers from finding jobs.
The Draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 has also been criticised on account of its using ancient texts and conceptual framing based on Hindu Smritis (codes), such as Manusmriti and emphasising on workers’ duties while ignoring protection of their rights. The draft is also criticised for not sufficiently emphasising minimum wages, job security, collective bargaining and protections for vulnerable categories of workers. Trade unions are apprehensive that the draft could lead to dilution of existing labour law protections — particularly for working conditions, wages and social security. (IPA Service)
