Nationwide Protests Days After Implementation of 4 Labour Codes
A massive joint platform of ten central trade unions (CTUs), supported by allied groups like the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), staged nationwide protests on Wednesday, November 26, condemning the central government’s implementation of the four new labour codes.
The protests, which saw thousands of workers take to the streets, came just days after the codes, replacing 29 existing central labour laws, were officially notified for implementation on November 21, 2025.
Union leaders across the country denounced the overhaul as a “deceptive fraud committed against the working people,” alleging the new framework is heavily tilted in favour of employers and threatens to erode worker protections earned over decades of struggle.
The platform, which includes major bodies like INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, and AIUTUC, is demanding the immediate withdrawal of the entire legislative package.
The Great Overhaul: Four Labour Codes in Effect
The government views the consolidation of 29 fragmented laws into four comprehensive Codes as one of the most significant structural reforms since Independence, aimed at modernising the labour environment and simplifying compliance (Ease of Doing Business).
The four codes are:
- The Code on Wages, 2019
- The Industrial Relations Code, 2020
- The Code on Social Security, 2020
- The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code, 2020
The government highlights the benefits, including a universal minimum wage, expansion of social security to gig and platform workers for the first time, mandatory appointment letters for all employees, and allowing women to work night shifts across all sectors with adequate safety provisions.
Unions’ Primary Objections: Dilution of Worker Rights
Despite the government’s emphasis on formalisation and social security, trade unions argue that the reform’s regressive clauses far outweigh any benefits.
Their central objections focus on three critical areas: job security, the right to organise, and the right to strike.
1. Relaxed ‘Hire and Fire’ Regime
The most contentious provision lies within the Industrial Relations Code.
It raises the threshold for requiring government permission for layoffs, retrenchment, and factory closures from 100 workers to 300 workers.
Unions argue that this change allows nearly 70% of industrial establishments to retrench staff without prior government approval, thus creating a precarious ‘hire and fire’ environment.
They claim this provision directly negates job security for millions of workers, empowering employers to repress and exploit without fear of legal reprisal.
2. Fixed-Term Employment and Contractualisation
While the codes grant fixed-term employees (FTEs) benefits equal to permanent workers, unions fear the provision will lead to a massive substitution of permanent jobs with short-term, fixed-term contracts.
They believe this will accelerate the contractualisation of the workforce, depriving young workers of stable careers and long-term security, including pension and retirement benefits.
3. Curtailment of Collective Bargaining Power
Unions have heavily criticised the changes that make it more difficult to form unions, secure registration, and exercise the right to strike.
The codes impose stricter conditions and mandatory long notice periods for strikes, effectively limiting the workers’ collective bargaining power.
As one union leader stated, the changes risk pushing workers “back to the colonial era where they can’t even raise their voice nor fight to form or legalize a trade union.”
The unions also noted that the process of conciliation and adjudication has been made cumbersome, with power shifting heavily towards management.
The Scale of the Protest and Future Actions
Protests were held nationwide, with workers staging sit-ins, rallies, and dharnas in major industrial hubs and state capitals, often joined by farmer organisations to amplify the collective grievance.
In a joint representation submitted to President Droupadi Murmu, the protesting bodies listed a charter of demands, including the immediate repeal of the four codes and the implementation of a national minimum wage of ₹26,000 per month.
The CTUs accused the government of ignoring years of consultation and multiple major strikes since 2019, alleging the rollout was arbitrary and designed to cater to “capitalist cronies.”
They warned that if their demands are ignored, the protests will be intensified and could culminate in a full-scale national general strike.
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