New Delhi, Dec. 12 -- The Union Labour and Employment Ministry's proposed labour codes aim to create frictionless supply chains, expand wage protection and deepen India's skilling ecosystem, Senior Labour and Employment Advisor Alok Chandra said on Friday, at the 91st AGM and Convention of the All India Association of Employers (AIOE).
The convention also saw the release of a white paper, Breaking the Glass Ceiling, examining how the codes may bolster women's workforce participation, and the presentation of the National Award for Outstanding Industrial Relations 2024-25. Chandra said the consolidation of 29 disparate labour laws into four unified codes would remove long-standing inconsistencies that have impeded industrial efficiency. The introduction of common definitions and national safety standards, replacing a patchwork of laws dating back to 1923, would, he noted, provide regulatory clarity.
"If there's consistency or congruence between the definitions as well as the safety standards which will ultimately govern the production process, this will facilitate a very smooth supply chain," he observed.
The Advisor underlined government efforts to build a dedicated reskilling fund, partly financed through amounts realised from the compounding of offences. On wage protection, he described the reforms as the most significant expansion of worker coverage, with minimum wages now universalised across sectors, replacing the earlier list of 45 scheduled employments.
The newly introduced floor wage, he said, would address regional disparities while allowing States to retain higher rates. "This floor wage to a very large extent addresses the issue of equity," he added.
AIOE President Jasbir Singh, said the codes establish "a balanced architecture that supports both enterprises and workers", offering simplified compliance for employers and enhanced social security and safety norms for workers, including those in gig and platform roles. He called for state-level uniformity, phased implementation for MSMEs, and a strengthened digital compliance system.
Atul Sobti, Director-General of SCOPE, linked India's economic rise to the shift from "conflict and confrontation to conversation and cooperation", urging employers to invest in reskilling for the energy transition and emerging
technologies.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.