‘Labour Codes have missed opportunity for real reform’
Rajiv Khandelwal on a better deal for workers
Rajiv Khandelwal: ‘The Labour Codes address just eight percent of the Indian workforce’
Civil Society News, New Delhi
Published: Mar. 24, 2026 | Updated: May. 25, 2026
Share
Relations between employers and workers in India have for the longest time been governed by a bundle of opaque laws. Neither side has benefitted. Both have wished for more rational regulation.
Recently, the Narendra Modi government introduced four Labour Codes to simplify things. Investors needed to be reassured that entering and exiting from a business wouldn’t be needlessly complicated.
But the Labour Codes do little for the interests and aspirations of workers, who in India are largely unorganized and vulnerable. An opportunity has been missed for some real reform which could lead to the shaping of modern workplaces on a par with other economies.
Welcome to Civil Society's
new website!
Login to Civil Society by entering your email below