NEW DELHI: Parliament on Thursday passed Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeking to bring legal clarity over labour issues. Both Houses passed the bill by voice vote, even as several opposition members described it as “anti-labour” and accused govt of favouring industrialists over workers while drafting the industrial relations code.BJP and its allies, on the other hand, strongly defended the bill terming it a “historic reform” for the welfare of labourers.Replying to a debate on the bill in Lok Sabha, labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the four labour codes implemented nearly three months ago give a guarantee of minimum wage. These codes also ensure compulsory issuance of appointment letters as well as uniform wages for the same work irrespective of gender, he said.Before the bill was passed by RS, leader of the opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the four codes are a way to steal the rights of workers, and govt has joined hands with corporates to strangle labourers, by threatening job security and increasing working hours.Mandaviya dismissed all charges saying the bill was brought in for legal clarity and Modi govt is committed to protect labourers and workers, and save industries. He said trade unions and workers support it, but those who want to do politics only speak against it. These codes ensure equal wages and rights for men and women, he said.Congress’ Jairam Ramesh said Industrial Relations Code was passed in the din on Sept 23, 2020 by a voice vote. “Today we are amending, with retrospective effect, a law that was passed six years ago. This reflects a complete failure of govt, as this repealing of the old Act should have been done before the new law was passed,” he said.Ramesh said the most significant change being brought about by the amendments is going to enable “ease of firing” and there is “no ease of hiring”.Earlier piloting the bill in Rajya Sabha, Mandaviya said, “When Industrial Relations Code, 2020 was passed, three Acts were subsumed in that”. He informed the House that those laws were Trade Union Act, 1926; Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946; and Industrial Dispute Act, 1947.
