By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Ever since the Code on Wages was passed in the Parliament of India in August 2019, followed by three other codes – The Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Social Security, 2020, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020, a year later in September 2020 – the workforce in the country has feared a sword hanging over their rights, while protection under previous 29 central labour laws were subsumed to frame the four labour codes. Workers resisted the codes for the last five years with numerous protests, including several all India strike actions, the latest being on July 9, 2025, but the codes were finally notified on November 21, 2025, with which Indian Workforce lost several of their rights and protection. Rural workers have also lost their rights of employment on demand after MGNREA 2005 was repealed by the VB-G RAM G Act notified on December 21, 2025.
Union Minister of Labour Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has said that the four labour codes would be implemented fully from April 1, 2026 in the next financial year 2026-27, while the Joint Platform of the 10 Central Trade Unions– INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC – has demanded rollback of the four labour codes and threatened to launch the fiercest and most united resistance in history. They held a nationwide protest on November 26 against unilateral implementation of the codes. Their numerous protests, marches, meetings, burning copies of the new codes in public etc shows their readiness to mobilize workers for stiff resistance of implementation of the codes. The CTUs have said they will escalate demonstrations if the government proceeds with full implementation. It means 2026 is set to be a turbulent year for the workforce.
The transition window opened with notification of the labour codes already shows the problems that the labour and industries are facing in implanting them which also indicate a turbulent industrial relation in 2026. Indian Industry representatives have already raised several concerns over the codes. Their key concerns are – confusion over calculating the 50% basic pay component of total remuneration could significantly increase employee costs; reduced gratuity (down to one year) for fixed-term hires adds financial strain; and new definitions to increase financial burden of the companies.
The other related concerns flagged are uneven state capacity, legacy litigation, and complexity in industrial structures pose challenges. Separate provisions for gig workers make rules confusing, and they remain non-employee despite recognition; codes weaken rights of workers, increase contract labour, and exclude many unorganized workers from social security. The Codes also shift decision-making and rule-framing powers from the Parliament to Executive, which could make high-handedness of the government and officials’ connivance with employers against the workers. Centre’s stance is that the codes have simplified the rules which will benefit both workers and employers.
Ever since PM Narendra Modi government got the labour codes passed in the Parliament, their implementation was being deferred due to many reasons: first due to COVID-19 crisis, the corporates were not ready for the transition; secondly, states were not ready with their individual laws, which was required because the labour is in concurrent list of the Constitution of India; as well as stiff opposition of central trade unions (CTUs)to the Codes. The Joint Platform of 10 CTUs demanded that the codes be withdrawn. Nevertheless, by the beginning of the year 2025, the Union Ministry had made their intention clear that they want to roll out the codes from April 1, 2025 in the current financial year.
The National Conventions of Workers and other employees’ associations called a meeting in New Delhi on March 18, 2025, and gave a clarion call for all India workers’ strike on May 20, 2025. It made the Centre to defer their implementation from April 1, 2025. In the two-day conventional two-month-long workers agitation programme was decided upon, which was supposed to be culminated on the May 20 all-India strike. They submitted a 17-point demand letter to the Central government.
Nevertheless, the CTUs called off their agitation after the India’s military retaliation on May 7 against Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The joint platform of 10 CTUs and the independent sectoral federations and association, met on May 15 in New Delhi to review the situation, and decided to reschedule the workers all-India strike on July 9.
A preparatory agitational programme with protest activities had also been announced to be observed across the country from June 20 to July 8 for the July 9 all-India strike. Bank and Insurance Unions had also announced their eager participation in the nationwide strike. Farmers and farm workers union, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha also decided to join the strike. Scheme workers, electricity, transport employees in several states also participated. The government supported BMS did not participate but they were also not opposed to the strike, because they too were not happy with the some of the provisions of the codes. July 9 general strike was the largest ever in the country.
The joint platform of 10 CTUs has now called for a nationwide general strike on February 12, 2026 against the implementation of the controversial labour codes to press the Modi government to repeal them. The date of the general strike will be formally ratified at the National Workers’ Convention to be held on January 9, 2026 in New Delhi.
The CTUs in a joint statement said, “The Government is trying to utilise all of its institutional machinery, media, and public sector management to build a positive consensus around these Codes. But the workers are determined to fight against the unilateral imposition by the government and get the Codes repealed.” They have even threatened to go for further strong actions, including multiple-day general strike and sectoral resistance actions if the Modi government decides to go ahead with their implementation. (IPA Service)
