Overview
- The four Labour Codes consolidating 29 central laws were notified for nationwide implementation on November 21, 2025, and a senior official said the Centre will soon notify the rules.
- Officials claim minimum wages now cover all sectors and are anchored by a national floor wage, a position trade unions dispute as not creating a binding floor.
- The Industrial Relations Code raises thresholds such as the applicability of standing orders from 100 to 300 workers, which employers frame as flexibility and unions say undercuts job security.
- The Social Security Code extends coverage to gig and platform workers and enables ESIC benefits, while critics argue many entitlements depend on discretionary schemes and uncertain funding.
- The OSH code mandates preventive safety measures and portable health records, and employer groups spotlight a reskilling fund and a new white paper projecting gains for women’s workforce participation.