Hundreds of workers gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday to protest against four new labour codes implemented by the central government. Workers claim these codes undermine their welfare and leave them vulnerable. The codes replace 29 older central labour laws.
The central government implemented four new labour codes on November 21: the Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Industrial Relations Code, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code. These were passed by Parliament after more than five years of deliberation.
The protest was organized by Mazdoor Adhikar Sangharsh Abhiyan, a joint platform of 13 workers' organizations and trade unions. Yogesh Kumar (39), a worker and member of Inqlabi Mazdoor Kendra, stated, "Around 80% of workers were unable to benefit from the earlier laws. In the Bawana industrial area, factories typically have 10-15 workers in manufacturing units with power. The new codes have raised the threshold for factory licensing from 10 to 20 workers for units with power and from 20 to 40 for those without. Now, employees may be deprived of Employees' State Insurance (ESI) and Provident Fund benefits."
Kumar also highlighted concerns over strike freedoms under the Industrial Relations Code. He noted, "Previously, only workers in essential services needed to give a 14-day notice before striking, but now it applies to every service." This restricts workers' rights significantly.
Shreya Ghosh, a member of the Centre for Struggling Trade Unions (CSTU), pointed out that shifts are already exceeding eight hours and contractual workers are being laid off without retrenchment notice. "We can no longer call these aberrations. Employers can now retrench workers without notice," she said.
Ghosh criticized a provision in the OSH Code allowing women to work night shifts—before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m.—with consent and safety measures. She called it "bizarre" and questioned, "No political party has promised creche facilities yet. How is this code practical to implement?"
These demonstrations form part of a nationwide series against the new labour codes, raising serious questions about workers' protections.
