Centre rolls out 4 Labour Codes
New Delhi: Ina landmark overhaul of labour laws, the government on Friday notified all four Labour Codes, ushering in major reforms, including universal social security coverage for gig workers, mandatory appointment letters for all employees, and statutory minimum wages and timely payment across sectors. The 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) -- effective Friday, replace 29 fragmented laws with a unified, modern framework.
The reforms include expanded rights and safety for women, including night-shift work, free annual health check-ups for workers aged over 40 years, pan-India ESIC coverage including hazardous process units, and a single registration, licence and return system.
Additional systemic reforms include a national floor wage, gender-neutral work policies, the Inspector-cum-Facilitator model for supportive compliance, faster dispute resolution through two-member tribunals, and a National Occupational Safety, Health (OSH) Board to harmonise safety standards.
The government will now initiate consultations to frame detailed rules and schemes. During the transition, provisions of existing labour laws will remain applicable wherever required.
The social-security coverage had expanded from 19 per cent in 2015 to over 64 per cent in 2025. The enforcement of the Labour Codes marks the next transformative step -- broadening worker protections, easing business operations and promoting a pro-worker labour ecosystem. According to a labour ministry statement, the Codes lay the foundation for Aatmanirbhar Bharat. India's labour laws were framed in the pre-Independence and early post-Independence era (1930s–1950s), at a time when the economy and world of work were fundamentally different. Labour Minister Mandaviya said on X, "Modi Government's Guarantee: Dignity for Every Worker! From today, the new labour codes have been made effective in the country." The minister said the codes will guarantee minimum wages for all workers, appointment letters for the youth, equal pay and respect for women, social security for 40 crore workers, gratuity for fixed-term employees after one year of employment, free annual health check-ups for workers above 40 years of age, double wages for overtime, 100 per cent health security for workers in hazardous sectors and social justice for workers as per international standards. "These reforms are not just ordinary changes, but a major step taken by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the welfare of the workforce.