- Labour is a concurrent subject in India.
- Central Government had 44 labour laws, now merged into four labour codes.
- Industrial Disputes Act 1947 (ID Act):
- Regulated layoffs, retrenchments, and closures.
- Required prior government permission for firms with >100 workers.
- Contract Labour Act 1970:
- Restricted contract labor to peripheral activities.
- Trade Unions Act, 1926:
- Regulated trade unions, allowing multiple unions.
- Empowered unions to strike and represent members.
- New Labour Codes (replacing old laws):
- Code on Wages, 2019: Introduces ‘Floor Wage’, regulates minimum wages, bonus.
- Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020: Deals with workplace safety, working conditions, employment letters.
- Code on Social Security, 2020: Proposes social security benefits for all workers.
- Industrial Relations Code, 2020: Allows easier closure/retrenchment for firms up to 300 workers.