New Delhi, May 11 (UNI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi-led government over the notification of the four labour codes, alleging that the Centre deliberately waited for the conclusion of Assembly elections before moving ahead with what he described as “anti-worker” reforms.
In a statement, Kharge accused the government of undermining labour rights and claimed the new labour framework would weaken job security and trade union protections for millions of workers across the country.
“In its typical cowardly fashion, the Modi government waited for the assembly elections to conclude before notifying the four anti-worker labour codes through a series of gazette notifications on 8th and 9th May 2026,” the Congress chief said.
He alleged that the labour codes would pave the way for “hire-and-fire policies, contract employment, and limited space for unionisation,” adversely affecting crores of workers in both organised and unorganised sectors.
Kharge further claimed that the Centre had implemented the labour reforms without adequate consultation with workers’ representatives and trade unions.
“It is important to note that the Modi government drafted and implemented these anti-worker codes without any consultation. It has not even convened the Indian Labour Conference since 2015,” he said.
The Congress leader also accused the BJP-led government of favouring industrialists at the cost of labour welfare. “These codes, which benefit only the PM’s industrialist friends, are the greatest setback for workers’ rights since independence,” he alleged.
Reiterating the Congress party’s labour welfare commitments, Kharge said the party remained committed to its “Shramik Nyay” agenda aimed at strengthening social and economic protections for workers.
Listing the party’s proposals, he said the Congress supported the restoration and expansion of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to urban areas, a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day, including for MGNREGA workers, and a Right to Health law providing universal health coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh.
He also promised comprehensive social security measures for unorganised workers, including life and accident insurance, and pledged to curb contractualisation in core government functions while reviewing what he termed the Modi government’s dilution of labour laws.
The four labour codes — covering wages, industrial relations, occupational safety, and social security — were passed by Parliament between 2019 and 2020 with the stated objective of simplifying and modernising India’s labour laws by consolidating 29 central legislations into four codes.
However, opposition parties and several trade unions have consistently opposed the reforms, arguing that they dilute workers’ protections and weaken collective bargaining rights.
UNI SKA ARN