Labour Laws

Want labour machinery to focus on defaulting firms: Labour Secretary

Labour Secretary Vandana Gurnani talks about how the ministry plans to enforce worker protections without bureaucratic drags and how states are aligning their rules with the national framework

Centre-state collaboration: A must for effective labour reforms

From national floor wages to fixed-term employment, the reforms introduce long-awaited changes, but uniform state-level adoption is key to avoiding fresh complexity

Labour codes will unlock far-reaching benefits for workers: Swiggy

On-demand convenience firm Swiggy Ltd on Saturday termed the newly notified labour codes as a "transformative step" that will unlock far-reaching benefits for millions of workers. While supporting the government's vision of a modern and inclusive social security net, in a regulatory filing, Swiggy said it does not anticipate any material impact from the CoSS (the Code on Social Security, 2020) on its business sustainability, cost structure, or long-term financial performance. The government on Friday notified the four labour codes, which have rationalised 29 existing labour laws. These will formalise employment, strengthen worker protection, and make the labour ecosystem simpler, safer and globally aligned. Under the new codes, 'gig work', 'platform work', and 'aggregators' have been defined for the first time. The codes stipulate that aggregators employing gig workers must contribute 1-2 per cent of annual turnover to social security, with the total contribution not exceeding 5 per

Dialogue among employers, workers key as labour codes take effect: ILO DG

International Labour Organization Director-General Gilbert F Houngbo has said social dialogue among government employers and workers will remain essential as the labour codes are implemented to ensure they are positive for workers and business. In a post on X, he said: "Following with interest developments of India's new Labour Codes announced today, including on social protection & minimum wages." In a landmark overhaul of labour laws, the government on Friday notified all four labour codes, ushering in major reforms, including universal social security coverage for gig workers, mandatory appointment letters for all employees, and statutory minimum wages and timely payment across sectors. Meanwhile, reacting to the labour codes, Sajja Praveen Chowdary, Director, Policybazaar for Business said making annual health checks mandatory for employees above 40 years marks an important shift in how organisations view workforce wellbeing. In the long run, this alignment of policy and ...

4 labour codes take effect nationwide: Here's what's changing for workers

New labour Code 2025: New rules promise better wages, wider social security and simpler compliance effective from today.

Govt must implement Labour Codes immediately to drive sustained reforms

Industry needs to deal with workers differently. Each worker will not just be a cog in the wheel but an active participant taking responsibility for a flexible and malleable production process

India's contract labour surge carries risks for jobs and the economy

Contract workers are typically not directly employed by factories but are hired through third-party agencies

US adds five more products to high-priority list under Uyghur labour law

The new products include steel, copper, lithium, caustic soda, and red dates, all of which are now under heightened scrutiny for links to forced labour

UK unveils £3 billion plan to train 120k workers, cut reliance on migrants

The UK Labour government's 'skills revolution' includes new apprenticeships, bootcamps, and English language reforms to reduce foreign labour dependence

Shravin Bharti Mittal joins wealthy exodus as UK tax reforms bite

Shravin Mittal's relocation to UAE highlights the impact of Britain's crackdown on non-dom tax perks; analysts warn of broader economic fallout

Fresh formal hirings decline by 10% in February, shows EPFO data

The EPFO data is considered crucial as it reflects the state of the formal labour market, and only the formal workforce enjoys social security benefits and is protected by labour laws

Kerala government orders probe into disturbing workplace harassment video

Kerala firm under fire after viral video shows staff crawling with leashes, sparking outrage and multiple probes by police, labour department and rights panels

GCCs emerging as a big answer to labour migration: Labour Secy Sumita Dawra

Nearly 34 states and union territories (UTs) have pre - published draft rules and it has been done in a harmonized, standardized manner, Dawra said

K'taka IT union calls for mass gathering of employees to press for demands

The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) has called for a mass gathering of IT sector employees on March 9 here demanding stricter enforcement of labor laws and a healthy work-life balance. With the protest, the union aims to address concerns over excessive working hours, lack of overtime compensation, and the expectation for employees to be available beyond official working hours. The gathering is being organised under the slogan "A Healthy Work-Life Balance is Every Employee's Right". In a statement, KITU stated on March 13, 2024, that a memorandum was submitted to the Labour Minister, alleging that IT/ITES companies are not compensating overtime wages and are extending work hours beyond statutory limits. The union urged the government to investigate actual working hours and overtime payments. "But even after one year of multiple meetings and protests, there has been no concrete effort from the Government to regulate the working hours by ensuring the strict ...

Skilled labour, simplification of regulations to propel services: Survey

According to the Economic Survey 2024-25, its share in total GVA at current prices has risen from 50.6 per cent in FY14 to around 55 per cent in FY25

Economic Survey: A 'virtuous cycle of job creation' via labour reforms

The survey presented a comparative study on restrictions on overtime for factory workers in India and other countries

Labour codes may align with state rules by March; West Bengal not on board

Labour economist K R Shyam Sundar said the "vaguely constructed" new labour laws were at the root of the "malady"

Labour ministry plans scheme to extend benefits to gig and platform workers

The Ministry of Labour & Employment is working on a scheme to provide various benefits like social security to gig and platform workers in the country, a senior official said on Wednesday. Addressing the CII Global Economic Policy Forum, Union Labour Secretary Sumita Dawra said the labour code on social security has outlined social security benefits for them. "We are putting together the scheme for the gig and platform economy workers because there is no traditional employer-employee relationship defined for the gig and platform workers but we need to bring social security coverage for them so that they can be more productive and support the country's economy and the e-commerce and services sector more effectively," she said. In October, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that a policy for providing social security benefits like pension and health services to gig and platform workers is under process. He had also said that Niti Aayog has estimated 65 lakh gig and ...

NSO may release monthly jobs data for rural, urban areas from March-end

Currently, the NSO releases the PLFS data for urban areas on a quarterly and yearly basis, while for rural areas it is released only annually

Canada tightens its foreign worker regulation to favour domestic workers

The newly implemented regulations aim to incentivise companies to hire Canadians before resorting to foreign talent