By Dr. Gyan Pathak
With unilateral announcement of implementation of the four controversial laobur codes by the Government of India on November 21, 2025, and the joint platform of the 10 Central Trade Unions (CTUs) to intensify their protests already planned on November 26 against it ,is a clear sign of new phase of turbulent industrial relations in the country. The government says it is pro-worker while the CTUs allege it to be anti-worker and pro-corporate.
Government of India silently announced implementation of the four controversial labour codes through social media and through a press release on Press Information Bureau website, calling it to be historic, but evading any even of fanfare, presumably out of fear of stiff immediate protest on the spot by the joint platform of CTUs. The stealth implementation is just one of the indications of turbulent industrial relations in the country in the coming months, because the government has implemented it unilaterally violating the principle of tripartism, ignoring Central Trade Unions and apex tripartite body Indian Labour Conference (ILC). Government has not convened any session of the ILC since 2015.
The history of the four controversial 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 –began with preparation of these without consultation with either CTUs or ILC. PM Narendra Modi led government had got them passed in the parliament, but because of various reasons their implementation was put on hold.
The chief reasons behind them putting on hold were: First, the Corona outbreak and lockdown of the economy was started in March 2020 and the industries were not ready to implement them; Secondly, the labour is in concurrent list of the Constitution of India and hence the states were also required to frame their rules according the Codes; and Thirdly, there was stiff resistance to the Codes by the Central Trade Unions who feared that the implementation of the Codes will reduce the workers to economic slavery. Modi government called it the largest labour reform in the country since independence claiming it aiming to benefit both the workers and ease of doing business, while CTUs called it anti-worker and pro-Corporate.
While announcing the implementation on social media platform X, Union Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Mansukh Mandaviya wrote, “From today, the new Labour codes have been implemented in the country. These reforms are not just ordinary changes, but a major step taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the welfare of the workforce.” He also wrote, “These new labour reforms are an important steps towards a self-reliant India and will give new momentum to the goal of a developed India by 2047.”His slogan in the post was, “Modi Government’s Guarantee: Dignity for Every Worker!”
The four labour codes were framed by subsuming 29 labour laws in the country, which were resisted by the CTUs right from the beginning, and they demanded their withdrawal. Even the RSS-BJP supported BMS has reservations on several provisions of the Codes. Many protests were organized by the CTUs across the country since then, which included even several all India strike actions. The joint platform of 10 CTUs had organized their latest all India strike on July 9, 2025, which was largest ever strike in the country, and even BMS had not opposed the strike.
In the meantime, the Union Government continued to push for framing of rules by states, and by January 2025, as the Union Minster of Labour and Employment had announced that majority of the States and UTs of the country has framed their rules, and also majority of the provisions of the Codes have already been implemented by them.
The joint platform of CTUs was already aware of these and on several occasions on several backdoor implementation of the provisions of the codes were raise even in the meeting of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Committees of the ILO have also criticized the government for these and also for government’s anti-Trade Union policies, which actually make the workers at receiving end.
The CTUs of the country are already organizing one-month long protests against the four labour that is to culminate on November 26. As per the earlier scheduled protests plan, the workers will be demonstrating in front of Deputy Commissioners or District Magistrates across the country. After the announcement of implementation of the Labour Codes, CTUs have said that they will intensify their protests on November 26.
CTUs were surprised having the information of implementation of the codes through social medial posts and information published on government and media websites. Their joint platform has expressed strong condemnation against “the blatantly unilateral implementation of anti-worker, pro-employer labour coded” terming them a “deceptive fraud committed against the working people of the nation.”
In a joint statement the CTUs –INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC – said, “In spite of the stiff resistance, the Union government, dizzy with the victory in Bihar elections, has felt super empowered to make effective the four labour codes from today as per the media reports and tweets by the Ministry of Labour& Employment.”
The Joint Platform of CTUs while denouncing the move of the government as most undemocratic, most regressive anti worker and pro employer reiterated in strongest terms that the lethal assault on the working people will be confronted with the fiercest and most United resistance in history.
They said in their statement, “The CTUs in one voice term the codes as genocidal attack on the lives and livelihoods of workers seeking to impose virtual slavery and snatching away every right and entitlements of the workers. The codes, if implemented will extinguish the hopes, faith and aspirations of the entire generation to come.”
Protests have already begun from today November 24, 2025, across the country and will culminate on November 26 with protest on every district headquarters in the country, and submit their demand letter to DCs/DMs for immediate withdrawal of the four labour codes. CTUs will be planning bigger protests against the codes, and the country is sure to enter into an new phase of a turbulent industrial relations, which will have far reaching implications. (IPA Service)
