CPI(M) Slams Centre’s Unilateral Notification of Labour Codes

New Delhi: The CPI(M) Polit Bureau has strongly opposed the Central Government’s unilateral move to notify the four Labour Codes, saying the decision dismantles long-standing labour protections and shifts the balance heavily in favour of employers.

The party said the new Labour Codes replace 29 existing labour laws, many of which, despite limitations, provided workers with basic safeguards relating to wages, working hours, social security, industrial safety, inspections, compliance, and collective bargaining. Instead of simplifying these laws, the CPI(M) said the Centre has chosen to dilute and abolish hard-won rights and weaken mechanisms that protect workers.

According to the Polit Bureau, the Government’s claim that the Codes will boost employment and investment is baseless. It said the Codes are designed to leave labour defenceless before capital, aiming to attract domestic and international investors by nullifying meaningful labour regulations. The party also warned that the Codes seek to restrict the right to strike and criminalise collective action by workers.

In its statement, the CPI(M) said the Labour Codes would create a “jungle raj”, enabling corporate interests to override workers’ rights with the active support of the Government and administration. It added that the process of pushing the Codes through was marked by a serious violation of democratic and federal norms, with the Centre refusing to conduct genuine tripartite consultations.

The Polit Bureau noted that trade unions were sidelined throughout the process and that the government rushed the legislation through Parliament without proper debate. It said valid objections raised with evidence and analysis were dismissed “arrogantly”.

The CPI(M) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Labour Codes. The party has urged all trade unions and democratic groups to unite and resist what it described as the Government’s authoritarian design, calling for collective struggles to defend workers’ rights and strengthen labour protections.