Centre pushes for big labour reforms; 43 crore unorganised workers to benefit.

Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Labour Minister in the second prime minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has absolute clarity on the priorities of his ministry. “We will try to complete the labour reform agenda,” said Gangwar immediately after assuming office on May 31. Unlike several other ministers in the Modi 2.0 Cabinet, Gangwar is not new to his portfolio. He had been steering the ‘labour reform agenda’ since 2017 as minister of Labour and Employment (independent charge) in the previous Modi government too. The fact that Modi wanted Gangwar to continue in the same ministry only proves the importance the government attaches to this ‘reform agenda’. The ‘labour reform’ plan is in line with recommendations of Second National Commission on Labour, which called for amalgamation, simplificaiton and rationalisation of existing laws by formulating four umbrella Labour Codes on (i) wages; (ii) industrial relations; (iii) social security & welfare; and (iv) occupational safety, health and working conditions.