The unions, who are affiliated with opposition parties, demanded in a statement late on Friday that the laws be removed before the planned nationwide protests on Wednesday.
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In Bhubaneswar, where hundreds of workers gathered and burned copies of the new labor codes, one of the trade unions, called for protest marches on Saturday.
The four labor codes, approved by parliament five years ago, are intended to simplify some employment laws, some of which date back to British colonial times, and liberalize investment conditions.
The changes, according to the report, enhance worker protection. The new regulations make it easier for employers to hire and fire employees, despite offering minimum-wage benefits and social security.
Over the past five years, unions have organized numerous nationwide protests to demonstrate their opposition to the changes.
A Reuters news agency’s request for comment on the union demands was not immediately responded to on Saturday. According to an internal ministry document on the labor codes, the government has spoken with unions for more than a dozen times since June 2024.
The regulations increase the threshold for firms that need prior approval for layoffs from 100 to 300, giving businesses more flexibility in workforce management, and allow longer factory shifts and night shifts for women.
Businesses have long criticized India’s manufacturing sector, which makes up less than a fifth of the nation’s nearly $4 trillion economy.
The Association of Indian entrepreneurs expressed concern that the new regulations would significantly raise small and medium-sized businesses’ operating costs and threaten business continuity across key industries.
It requested flexible implementation mechanisms and transitional support from the government. The overhaul is not opposed by all unions.
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Source: Aljazeera
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