Amendments in Indian employment laws

In an effort to empower workers in organized as well as unorganized sectors, the central
government has codified, a total of 44 labour laws into four codes – Industrial Relations Code,
Code on Wages, Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, and Social Security
Code.
Let us see what each of these codes signify.

1) Code on wages, 2019

This law replaces four existing laws related to wage and bonus payments and is aimed at
regulating and simplifying wage and bonus provisions for all employees in India. Under this
code, the term ‘wages’ has finally got a uniform definition, therefore standardizing various
issues related to wages. The employer needs to take into account the level of difficulty of the
work as well as the skills of the employee.

Minumum wages will have to be reviewed in every 5 years. Also both men and women will be
given equal wages. The wage ceiling has also been increased from ₹18,000 to ₹24,000. The daily
working hours have been increased to 12 hours a day which entitles the employee to go for 4-
day work week.

2) Industrial Relations Code, 2020

This code consolidates and replaces multiple labour laws related to industrial relations, trade
unions, and resolution of industrial disputes. It introduces changes in areas such as collective
bargaining, formation of trade unions, and settlement of disputes. This code consolidates 3
laws The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, The Trade Unions Act, 1926 and The Industrial
Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946.

3) Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code, 2020

This code amalgamates and replaces various laws related to occupational safety, health, and
working conditions. It focuses on providing comprehensive provisions for health and safety
standards at workplaces.

According to the Industrial Relations (IR) Code, all industrial establishments are prohibited from
engaging in strikes and lockouts without prior notice. No unit is allowed to go on strike,
violating their contract, without providing a 60-day notice before the strike. Additionally, they
cannot commence the strike within 14 days of issuing the notice or before the expiry of any
date specified in the notice for the strike.

4) Social Security Code, 2020

This code consolidates and replaces multiple laws related to social security, including employee provident fund, employee state insurance, gratuity, maternity benefits, and other welfare
provisions.