NEW DELHI: The Centre’s decision to implement the four labour codes is the second “big bang” reform measure since the unsuccessful bid to overhaul agricultural markets, and signifies the confidence that it has drawn from the Bihar landslide as well as the recognition to prepare industry and business for global uncertainty.The announcement drew protests from trade unions, most of them aligned to opposition parties and appears to have set the stage for another confrontation.RSS-affiliate Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, the largest of the trade unions, has not joined the chorus. But that is not the only reason for govt to feel confident that the long-promised labour reforms did not meet the fate that befell the farm sector laws.The farm reforms had to be aborted because govt failed to convince farmers that the proposed schemes were meant to help them. Going by the drift of the deliberations in govt over the past several months, the Centre seems to be confident that it will be able to persuade the intended beneficiaries; essentially a sprawling mass of workers who are not part of the organised sector.The proposal to extend social protection to a large and rapidly growing mass of contractual and unorganised workers will be welcomed by millions like those engaged by online platforms. The established trade unions have failed to acquire a following among them.The codes mandate timely wage-payment guarantees by seventh of every month, and allow women to work night shifts across sectors with consent and safety arrangements.This seems to be a combination of multiple factors – their obsession and the resultant dependence on organised labour, difficulty in bringing together those who are not working under one roof and the perception of unionisation as an anti-business pursuit whose worst victims have been workers themselves. But the net result is the presence of a large mass who have not been cared for and who should welcome any effort to improve the deal for them.Denial of minimum wages in large parts of the country and absence of safety norms also give govt an opening to win the support of these sections for its larger agenda, which includes preparing the country to the challenges of an uncertain global milieu.The uncertainty wrought by the Covid pandemic has been compounded by US President Donald Trump’s aggressive mercantilism. The risks can be offset by opportunities, but the country does not seem fully prepared to grasp them. For all the talk of China-plus-one and the need to diversify the global supply chain, India has not benefited significantly from the concern about dependence on a ruthless China.The codes seem to make an effort to remedy the situation by introducing flexibility in a labour market which discourages entry of new players and capacity expansion while deterring foreign investors. While the codes address the need to shake up things a bit, govt will have to contend with an opposition, licking its wounds after successive electoral defeats, using them to amplify their “pro-rich” charge.
