Labour Codes mark historic reform, says MoS Shobha at Vijayawada meet

Vijayawada: Union minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises, labour & employment Shobha Karandlaje inaugurated a 2-day Regional Conference of Labour & Employment and Industry Secretaries of states and Union territories in Vijayawada on Tuesday. The MoS said the regional conference marked the third in the series of five regional conferences planned at various locations across the country, with an aim to allay the apprehensions surrounding the 4 new labour codes among workers' unions and ensure the smooth implementation of the four new labour codes, which came into effect on November 21, 2025, across the country.Addressing the conference, Shobha Karandlaje underscored the pivotal role of the states and Union territories in ensuring the effective and timely implementation of the four labour codes. She described the consolidation of 29 Central labour laws into four codes as a historic and transformative reform, undertaken after extensive stakeholder consultations, including multiple rounds of discussions with states, employers, and workers' representatives.Highlighting the need to align labour regulation with the evolving world of work, the MoS stated that the codes promote transparency, simplify compliance, and strengthen worker welfare through a balanced and technology-enabled governance framework.On the occasion, Shobha drew her attention to key progressive provisions such as uniform definitions, web-based inspections, decriminalisation of minor offences, enhanced participation of women in the workforce, work-from-home enabling provisions, and the extension of social security to gig, platform, and unorganised workers for the first time.Labour minister Vasamsetty Subhash stated that the Labour Codes are a significant reform reflecting the spirit of cooperative federalism between the Centre and the States. He said that the deliberations held during the conference, along with earlier regional consultations, would contribute to strengthening the implementation of the Codes.Senior officials of the labour department from AP, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Puducherry, and NCT of Delhi were present.