Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge protest new labour codes

Opposition leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and MPs from other parties protested at the Parliament House complex on Wednesday, 3 December, against the Centre’s newly notified labour codes and demanded their immediate scrapping.

The protest, held outside the Makar Dwar entrance of Parliament, saw robust participation from MPs of Congress, DMK, TMC, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation and others. Carrying placards and slogan banners such as “No to Corporate Jungle Raj, Yes to Labour Justice,” the opposition highlighted their concerns over the new labour reforms which they claim undermine workers’ rights in favour of corporate interests.

The backdrop of the protest is the Centre’s recent notification of four labour codes—the Code of Wages (2019), Industrial Relations Code (2020), Code on Social Security (2020), and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020)—which consolidate 29 existing labour laws that have been under discussion since 2020.

Key reforms introduced by these codes include formal appointment letters for workers, universal social security coverage extending to gig and contract workers, statutory minimum wages across sectors, expanded rights and safety measures for women workers, and mandatory annual health check-ups for workers above 40 years old.

Trade unions and opposition parties have voiced strong criticism, particularly against provisions that raise the threshold for mandatory government approval for layoffs and retrenchments from 100 to 300 employees, potentially easing large-scale job cuts. The codes also increase permissible working hours in factories from 9 to 12 hours, and in shops and establishments from 9 to 10 hours, raising concerns over worker welfare.

Opposition MPs also demanded that the government repeal the codes, warning that these reforms threaten job security and labour rights in the country.

(With agency inputs)