In 2019-20, the Government of India, demonstrating its anti-worker position once again, introduced four labour codes that include the Code on Wages Act, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2020, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code Bill, 2020, and the Social Security Code Bill, 2020.
According to the 2025 Global Rights Index report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), India occupies the second-worst position, with a rating of 5 on a scale ranging from 1 to 5+, where 1 indicates the best conditions for workers and 5+ the worst. In such a country, the government is further trying to worsen the working conditions and curtail their rights by introducing these codes.
The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code permits firms to assign women to potentially unsafe jobs and makes accessing maternity leave difficult. Workers are eligible for paid leave only after 80 days in the job, allowing private employers to dismiss them beforehand and avoid payment. The Code also raises the threshold for its applicability—from 10 to 20 workers in firms with power supply, and from 20 to 40 in those without. Since most workers are employed in smaller firms, this change excludes them from protection. Additionally, the Code lacks a judicial process for resolving labour disputes, further weakening workers’ rights.
The Industrial Relations Code permits companies employing up to 300 workers to hire and dismiss employees without seeking prior approval from the government. Earlier, this exemption applied only to firms with up to 100 workers. In addition, it places restrictions on the right to strike. It mandates that trade unions must provide a 14-day advance notice before initiating a strike, and this notice remains valid for only 60 days. Strikes are also prohibited during the seven days set aside for conciliation efforts and for a period of up to 60 days following the conclusion of tribunal proceedings.
The Wage Code 2019 contains several provisions that shift power in favour of employers. It allows employers to deduct wages for losses caused by workers’ neglect or default, enabling wage cuts that could reduce demand and employment. It expands exemptions from bonus payments, letting more firms deny workers these benefits. These provisions imply that profits benefit employers, while losses are passed on to workers. The Code does not specify minimum wage rates within the legislation, leaving this to the appropriate government. While it includes informal workers within its scope, it does not provide strong mechanisms for wage enforcement across all sectors.
The Code on Social Security fails to extend universal social security benefits to informal sector workers. Rather than strengthening protections, it limits the authority of labour officers to assess the amount of provident fund and state insurance owed to workers by employers. The Code also prevents the reopening of older cases, leaving many workers who were previously underpaid or denied benefits without any legal remedy. Additionally, it weakens the role of labour inspectors responsible for ensuring compliance, shifting instead to a system where employers self-certify their adherence to labour laws.
Opposing these labour codes, the Revolutionary Communist Party of India will stand with the working class on the streets during their General Strike today, on 9th July 2025. The various other demands of the working class in India must also be fulfilled.
Long live the revolution!
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