New Labour Codes to expand social security, spur jobs: Karandlaje
Vijayawada: Union minister of state for labour and employment Shobha Karandlaje said the new Labour Codes aim to safeguard workers’ rights, expand employment opportunities and foster industrial growth.
Speaking at the regional conference of labour and employment and industry secretaries from southern states and Union Territories here on Tuesday, she said the reforms, which came into effect on November 21, would bring significant changes for both employees and employers.
The minister noted that India had long been governed by 29 outdated labour laws dating back to the colonial era, which no longer served the needs of modern workers. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the ministry of labour and employment consolidated these into four Labour Codes to address long-pending issues in the sector. She stressed that labour is primarily a state subject, with nearly 90 per cent of implementation responsibility resting with state governments. Regional conferences, she explained, are being organised nationwide to ensure smooth adoption of the reforms.
Karandlaje said the new laws extend social security benefits such as EPFO and ESI to nearly 90 per cent of workers in the unorganised sector. They also guarantee equal pay for equal work for women and mandate wage payments within one week of work completion.
Officials, she added, are being sensitised to implement these reforms effectively at state, district, and taluka levels. Similar conferences have already been held in Goa and Jaipur, with Vijayawada hosting the third. Upcoming meetings are planned in Lucknow and Guwahati.
Andhra Pradesh labour minister Vasamsetti Subhash expressed pride in hosting the conference, noting its role in dispelling misconceptions among workers and raising awareness about the reforms. He outlined State initiatives to boost women’s workforce participation and ensure their safety, while eliminating gender discrimination and enforcing equal wages.
Subhash also explained infrastructure developments under the ESI scheme, including a 50-seat medical college in Visakhapatnam, another in Amaravati, a 150-bed secondary care hospital, and a 500-bed super-specialty hospital. Land has been allocated for ESI hospitals in Nellore, Sri City, Guntur, and Kurnool, with works underway in Vizianagaram. He added that workplace medical camps for early detection of chronic diseases and IT-based systems for transparency are being introduced.
