Overview
- The Centre notified the four labour codes on November 21, consolidating 29 laws into unified regimes for wages, industrial relations, social security, and occupational safety.
- Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said updated draft rules will be republished shortly, with enforcement targeted for April 1, 2026, and clarified that daily hours remain eight within a 48-hour weekly cap with paid overtime options.
- Opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, protested at Parliament demanding the codes be scrapped, citing a higher layoff approval threshold of 300 workers and concerns over longer shifts.
- Mandaviya issued a point-by-point rebuttal, asserting one‑month notice and retrenchment compensation remain, fixed‑term employees receive benefits on par with permanent staff with gratuity after one year, and a reskilling fund is being introduced.
- Because labour is a concurrent subject, both Centre and states must notify rules; Jammu & Kashmir reviewed readiness and reported large cuts in sections, forms and returns, while industry bodies urged state consultations and tripartite dialogue for rollout.