New Delhi ;Several Opposition MPs, led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and including senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday staged a sharp protest in the Parliament House complex against the newly-notified labour codes, demanding their immediate withdrawal. MPs from the DMK, Trinamool Congress, Left parties and other INDIA bloc constituents joined the demonstration held at the Makar Dwar, signalling a coordinated Opposition pushback on an issue that directly affects crores of workers.
Kharge accused the Modi government of pursuing “anti-labour, anti-worker and pro-crony policies,” alleging that the new laws weaken hard-won labour protections. The protest marks the first united street action of the Opposition in the ongoing Winter Session, indicating that labour reforms—long delayed and finally operationalised—may become a major flashpoint in Parliament.
Background to the New Labour Codes
The Centre recently notified rules under three of the four labour codes passed in 2020—the Industrial Relations Code, the Code on Social Security, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code)—setting the stage for nationwide implementation. The Wage Code was operationalised earlier. Together, the four codes consolidate 29 existing labour laws into a simplified framework intended to make compliance easier and boost investment.
However, unions and Opposition parties argue that the new laws dilute workers’ rights. Key concerns include easier norms for layoffs and retrenchment in medium and large industries, changes in strike procedures, expanded fixed-term employment, and uncertainties in social security access for gig and platform workers. Trade unions have criticised the government for notifying the codes without achieving broad consensus, alleging that consultations were inadequate.
FAKE NEWS CRACKDOWN PLANNED
In a separate development in the Lok Sabha, Information and Broadcasting and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw cautioned that AI-generated deepfakes and fake news poprit4stsed a serious challenge to democratic institutions. He informed the House that the government is preparing new rules to curb the spread of misinformation, strengthen institutional oversight, and take stronger action against creators of deepfake content.
“Fake news is a very serious issue. Fake news is a threat to democracy,” Vaishnaw said during Question Hour, stressing the need for faster detection and stricter penalties.
With the Opposition sharpening its attack on labour reforms and the government gearing up to regulate the digital information ecosystem, both issues are set to dominate the remainder of the Winter Session.
