Almost All States Ready With Draft Rules on Labour Codes; Implementation at ‘Appropriate’ Time: Govt

New Delhi: Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday said almost all states have prepared draft rules on the four labour codes and the new rules will be implemented at an appropriate time.

The minister's comment came at a time when speculation is rife that labour codes will be implemented anytime soon as most of the states have firmed up the draft rules.

Talking to PTI, Yadav said, "Almost all states have finalised draft rules on four labour codes. We will implement the codes (in one go) at an appropriate time".

Read Also: New Labour Codes From July 1? Trade Unions Will Continue to Oppose Changes

He also informed that the few states are still in the process of firming up draft rules.

Rajasthan has firmed up draft rules on the two codes and two are left, while West Bengal is in the process of finalising those, the minister said.

There are few Northeast states, including Meghalaya, which have not completed the process of drafting rules on the four codes.

In 2019 and 2020, 29 central labour laws were amalgamated, rationalised and simplified into four labour codes, viz, the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020.

The central government has already pre-published the draft rules for all four codes. Now, states are required to frame regulations on their part as labour is a concurrent subject.

Labour is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution. Under the Labour Codes, rules are required to be framed by the central government as well as by the state governments.

The ministry intends to implement all four labour codes by the Centre and states in one go for a “seamless transit” to the new legal framework in the country.

As per the government, the new laws are “in tune” with the changing labour market trends and at the same time accommodate the minimum wage requirement and welfare needs of the unorganised sector workers, including the self-employed and migrant workers, within the framework of legislation.

The central government has notified four labour codes -- the Code on Wages, 2019, on August 8, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 on September 29, 2020.

However, the Centre and states are required to notify rules under the four codes to enforce these laws in their respective jurisdictions.

Under the Codes, the power to make rules has been entrusted to the central government, state government and appropriate government and there is a requirement for publication of rules in their official gazette for a period of 30 or 45 days for public consultation.

Newsclick adds: Central trade unions (CTUs), who are opposing the Labour Codes “tooth and nail”,  had earlier told NewsClick that “direct confrontation” will start if the codes are impelemented.

 “The trade unions have opposed the Labour Codes from the very start. We will continue to do so even if they are implemented,” he said, adding this is the stand of all the 10 CTUs that have jointly staged multiple demonstrations and general strikes over the Labour Codes in the recent past,” Sukumar Damle of AITUC had said.

Tapan Sen, general secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions had said that the possibility of rolling out Labour Codes cannot be completely ruled out, warning that a " direct confrontation" will begin between the Centre and the CTUs once the Codes are rolled out. "We will discuss what to do then,” he had said.