CPI(M) rejects new labour codes, alleges they dismantle long-established worker protections

The CPI(M) on Saturday sharply criticised the implementation of the four new labour codes, alleging that they seek to dilute and abolish long-established rights and entitlements of workers while shifting the balance decisively in favour of employers. In a statement, the party said the overhaul undermines decades of hard-won protections.

The CPI(M) Politburo said it “strongly opposes the unilateral notification” of the labour codes by the BJP-led Union government, contending that they dismantle 29 existing labour laws that have so far provided workers safeguards on wages, social security, industrial safety, inspection mechanisms and collective bargaining. “Instead of simplification, the new codes seek to dilute and abolish long-established existing rights and entitlements and shift the balance sharply in favour of employers,” the statement read.

The party accused the government of promoting corporate interests by weakening regulatory frameworks that previously governed labour rights. It alleged that the Centre’s claim that the new labour codes will enhance employment and investment is “baseless,” insisting that the reforms are intended to leave labour unprotected to attract domestic and foreign capital.

The CPI(M) further claimed that the codes aim to curtail the right to strike and criminalise collective action, describing the overhaul as an attempt to create a “jungle raj” by empowering the corporate sector to override workers’ protections with the support of the government and administration.

The party also criticised the legislative process, alleging that the labour codes were pushed through without genuine tripartite consultation. It said the government sidelined trade unions throughout the drafting phase and rushed the legislation through Parliament without adequate debate, while rejecting objections supported by evidence.

Calling for the immediate withdrawal of the labour codes, the CPI(M) urged trade unions and democratic organisations to unite in resisting what it termed the “authoritarian design” of the government and defend the rights and entitlements of workers.

The Centre implemented the four labour codes on Friday, bringing into force a major restructuring of labour regulation pending since 2020. The Code of Wages (2019), the Industrial Relations Code (2020), the Code on Social Security (2020) and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020) will replace 29 labour laws with a unified framework. Government officials have said the reforms introduce worker-friendly measures such as timely statutory minimum wages for all and universal social security, including for gig and platform workers, alongside extended work hours, broader fixed-term employment and more flexible retrenchment norms.

Key provisions also include mandatory appointment letters, job formalisation, Provident Fund and ESIC coverage for unorganised workers, expanded protections for women including night-shift work and grievance committees, and free annual health check-ups for workers aged 40 and above.