Govt launches 2-day conference on labour codes, asks states to notify rules

The Union Minister of Labour & Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated a two-day regional conference in Goa on Wednesday, with an agenda of facilitating the smooth implementation of the four new labour codes.

 

This is the first of six regional conferences planned by the Central government, covering all states, Union territories and key stakeholders. The objective of these conferences is to facilitate the smooth implementation of the four labour codes and deliberate on related issues concerning the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY).

 

“Stakeholders have widely welcomed the government’s decision, particularly noting key progressive provisions such as annual health check-ups, social security coverage for workers engaged in hazardous activities even in establishments with a single worker, mandatory issuance of appointment letters, and the reduced eligibility period for gratuity to one year from the earlier requirement of five years,” said the statement.

 

The four new labour codes were brought into force on November 21, and the government pre-published the draft rules on December 30. Upon releasing the draft rules, the Centre invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders for a period of 30 to 45 days.

 

At the regional conference, virtually inaugurated by the Union labour minister, Labour Secretary Vandana Gurnani urged states to notify their respective rules at the earliest, after consulting their law departments.

 

“States are also encouraged to participate in outreach under PMVBRY, address overlaps with Shops and Establishments Acts through further deliberations, and leverage expanded ESIC coverage under the codes, including for gig and platform workers, while exploring the inclusion of contract and outsourced workers under ESI to set an example as model employers,” said the statement.

 

At the conferences, the government aims to deliberate on rules and regulations, identify gaps and divergences, expedite the issuance of statutory notifications, and discuss the constitution of boards, funds and related institutional mechanisms. Consultations were also held on schemes to be formulated under the labour codes, alongside discussions on IT systems and digital platforms for effective implementation.

 

The government has previously said that it aims to make the four codes fully effective starting April 1. Before that, it will notify the finalised rules once stakeholder consultations are concluded and the suggestions are taken into account.