Thiruvananthapuram: The LDF government in Kerala Thursday demanded rollback of the four labour codes whose operationalisation was announced by the Centre last Friday. These codes replace 29 central labour laws.
Kerala, which is slated to go to the polls next April, was one of the first states to have notified the draft rules for these codes four years ago. Seeking to justify the change in the state’s stance, labour minister V. Sivankutty said the states had been “forced” to publish the draft rules earlier under pressure from the Centre.
“The demand to withdraw the Labour Code… my opinion, and that of the (state) government, is the same. Under my leadership, along with the major central trade unions, it is a unified opinion of Kerala,” he told the media.
The minister termed the codes as “anti-worker” and alleged lack of consultation in their formulation. He also said Kerala would not implement the new labour codes.
This came after the state labour department convened an emergency meeting online with various trade union leaders, and passed a resolution demanding that the Centre withdraw the labour codes.
Sivankutty said the meeting mostly focused on the impact of the codes in Kerala and on ways to resist the “anti-people” and “anti-worker” labour policies.
Besides the minister, the meeting was attended by the state secretary for the labour and skills department, S. Shanavas, other officials, and leaders of trade unions, including Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and State Trade Union (STU).
Over four years after they were passed in Parliament, the Centre on 21 November announced the implementation of the labour codes that would replace 29 labour laws.
According to the central government, the four codes—Code of Wages (2019), Industrial Relations Code (2020), Code on Social Security (2020), and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020)—”streamline compliance, modernise outdated provisions, and create a simplified, efficient framework that promotes ease of doing business while safeguarding workers’ rights and welfare”.
However, the codes, which mandate 14-day notification before a strike and 51 percent membership for union formation, have since Friday received much pushback from many trade unions, which allege that the laws are not worker-friendly. Trade unions across the country also held protests against the codes Wednesday.
Sivankutty said the Kerala government would organise a day-long ‘Labour Conclave’ on 19 December, inviting central trade union leaders, labourers, legal experts, and labour ministers from all states.
He said the conclave would have four sessions that would explore the effect of the code on workers’ lives, solutions, and the possibility of Kerala framing its own laws in this regard. Labour is included in the concurrent list of the Constitution. The minister said he along with trade union leaders would meet the Union Labour Minister in Delhi to submit a memorandum in December.
“We cannot say that all ministers will attend. However, there are labour ministers who oppose this (code). It has been decided to invite them. We anticipate a participation of 100 people,” he said.
A day after the central government notification on the codes, the CPI(M) polit bureau had issued a strong statement against the laws. The party said the codes dismantled 29 hard-won labour laws that were able to protect workers to an extent till now.
“The codes are designed to leave labour unprotected in the face of the onslaught of capital. Their aim is to lure national and international capital by ensuring that all meaningful regulations covering various aspects of labour rights will be nullified,” the statement read.
It further alleged that the codes snatch away workers’ right to strike and criminalise any collective action. It also said the government had sidelined trade unions in the process, rushing the legislation.
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The labour codes
Kerala’s opposition comes years after the state published the draft rules of the codes in December 2021.
According to a note by the Ministry of Labour & Employment in July 2025, 32 States/UTs have pre-published their draft rules under the four labour codes, except for West Bengal and Lakshadweep, while Tamil Nadu is yet to publish the draft rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020. Delhi only published draft rules under the Code on Wages, 2019.
Sivankutty Thursday stated that the draft rules were published after the central government convened a meeting of state labour secretaries, in which strict instructions were given to publish the draft. He said that after the draft labour rules came to light, they were discussed with trade unions and public opinion was sought.
“It’s been here since then. The draft will remain a draft,” he told the media.
According to the government, the Code of Wages, 2019, amalgamates the major provisions of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, Minimum Wages Act, 1948, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, and Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
The code sets a universal minimum wage for workers in both the organised and unorganised sectors. It further establishes a statutory floor wage by the central government, below which states can’t fix their minimum wage. This wage will be set based on skill level, region, and working conditions. It also prohibits gender discrimination, mandates timely wage payment, and ensures overtime compensation.
Likewise, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, includes relevant provisions of the Trade Unions Act, 1926, Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. It enables time-bound contracts with full wage and benefit parity, including gratuity after one year, and a re-skilling fund to be provided by the employer for retrenched workers.
It also set rules for the formation of trade union and mandates that a trade union will be recognised as a negotiating union only if it has 51 percent membership. Similarly, industrial establishments employing up to 299 workers no longer need prior government permission to lay off, retrench workers or close the unit, modifying the earlier threshold of 100. All establishments are also mandated to give a 14-day notice before strikes or lockouts.
The Code on Social Security, 2020, incorporates nine existing Social Security Acts, including the Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923, The Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 and Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. The code ensures nationwide Employees’ State Insurance Coverage and five-year limit to start Employees’ Provident Fund inquiries with two years for completion.
It also includes gig and platform workers for social security coverage, with aggregators to contribute one to two percent of annual turnover. It creates a Social Security Fund to support welfare schemes for unorganised, gig, and platform workers. It further formulates a universal definition of wage, which states that at least 50 percent of total remuneration is to be defined as “wages”.
The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, includes relevant provisions of 13 central labour Acts, including the Factories Act, 1948, Plantations Labour Act, 1951, and Mines Act, 1952.
The code fixes normal working hours at 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, with overtime allowed only with worker consent and if paid twice the regular rate. It also mandates free annual health checkups for employees, formal letters showing appointment, job details, wages, etc. Safety and welfare provisions are mandated in establishments even if they employ only one worker, if it is involved in hazardous occupation.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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