Landmark Labour Reforms Come Into Effect, Aiming for Universal Social Security and Better Wages
NEW DELHI (ATP): The Central government today announced the implementation of four new labour codes, aimed at simplifying and streamlining the nation’s existing, decades-old labour laws.
Labour and Employment Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, in a social media post, stated that the reforms—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—have come into effect immediately. He emphasized these changes are the “Government’s Guarantee of Dignity for Every Worker.”
The ministry highlighted that the new codes will significantly widen the social-security net, which has already expanded from covering 19% of the workforce in 2015 to over 64% in 2025. Key benefits include guaranteed timely minimum wages, appointment letters for youth, equal pay and respect for women, and social security for 40 crore workers.
Furthermore, the reforms introduce portability of benefits across states and sectors, gratuity for fixed-term employees after one year, double wages for overtime, and free annual health check-ups for workers above 40. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the decision as one of the most comprehensive and progressive labour-oriented reforms since Independence, promoting ease of doing business and accelerating the goal of a Viksit Bharat.