NEW DELHI: Parliament on Thursday passed the Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at providing legal clarity on labour-related issues. The legislation was approved by voice vote in both Houses, amid sharp exchanges between the government and the opposition.
Several opposition members criticised the bill as “anti-labour,” alleging that the government favoured industrialists over workers while framing the industrial relations framework. In contrast, the BJP and its allies strongly defended the measure, calling it a “historic reform” designed to safeguard workers’ welfare.
Replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha, Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the four labour codes implemented nearly three months ago guarantee minimum wages. He added that the codes mandate the issuance of appointment letters and ensure equal pay for equal work, irrespective of gender.
Before the bill was cleared in the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the four labour codes dilute workers’ rights and accused the government of siding with corporates, threatening job security and extending working hours.
Mandaviya rejected these charges, asserting that the amendment was introduced solely to remove legal ambiguities. He said the Modi government remains committed to protecting both labourers and industries. According to him, trade unions and workers support the reforms, and only those seeking political mileage are opposing them. He reiterated that the codes guarantee equal wages and rights for men and women.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh noted that the Industrial Relations Code was originally passed on September 23, 2020, by voice vote amid disruptions. He argued that amending a law with retrospective effect six years later reflected a failure on the government’s part, stating that repealing the old Acts should have preceded the enactment of the new Code.
Ramesh further contended that the amendments would effectively enable “ease of firing” without providing corresponding “ease of hiring.”
Earlier, while introducing the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Mandaviya recalled that the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, had subsumed three existing laws: the Trade Unions Act, 1926; the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946; and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
