India Implements New Labour Codes, Congress Criticizes Move

The Indian government has notified the final rules for the four labour codes, which came into effect on November 21, 2025, and are now fully operational. The codes, which include 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, aim to provide minimum wage and universal social security for all workers.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the move, saying the codes promise a future of hire-and-fire policies, contract employment, and limited space for unionization, and that they were implemented without consultation with workers.

The Congress party has committed to its five-point Shramik Nyay agenda, which includes restoration of MGNREGA, national minimum wage, and comprehensive social security for all unorganized workers.

The government's move is expected to have significant implications for workers' rights in India, and the Congress party has vowed to continue its opposition to the labour codes. The Indian Labour Conference is expected to be convened in the near future to discuss the implications of the new labour codes.