Opposition parties continue to raise objections to the four new labour codes implemented by the central government. While the Congress is demanding their complete withdrawal, Shiv Sena (UBT) has also strongly opposed them. Uddhav Thackeray’s party claims the new laws will weaken labour protections and push workers into uncertainty.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant on Saturday sharply criticised the Centre for enforcing the new codes, alleging that they will abolish existing rights and put workers in a vulnerable position. Sawant, who heads the party’s workers’ wing, accused the government of siding with industrialists and wealthy businessmen at the cost of labour welfare.

Sawant vows legal challenge
Sawant said the laws have created a situation where “certainty has turned into uncertainty” and confirmed that the party will challenge the new labour codes in court.

The Centre has notified the Industrial Relations Code 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Code 2020, the Social Security Code 2020, and the Code on Wages 2019 — all pending since 2020 — and has made several major changes to them.

‘We opposed them even during MVA rule’
Sawant expressed deep disappointment over the new framework. He said, “These codes will destroy workers’ livelihoods and fail to protect their rights. The Bharatiya Kamgar Sena will oppose their implementation.”

He pointed out that under earlier laws, factory owners employing 100 workers needed state government approval to shut down their unit. Under the new codes, this threshold has been increased to 300, significantly reducing worker safeguards. Sawant added that even when the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government was in power, it had resisted attempts to implement these codes in Maharashtra.

Congress demands withdrawal of laws
The Congress has also strongly criticised the new labour codes, demanding their immediate repeal. The party claims the laws are anti-worker and promote exploitative conditions. Udit Raj, head of the party’s Unorganized Workers Congress, said the government has “destroyed all earlier worker-friendly laws in one stroke.”

According to the Centre, the four codes are aimed at reforming labour regulations by ensuring timely minimum wages, universal social security, longer working hours, and increased fixed-term employment. The new codes consolidate 29 earlier labour laws into a single unified framework.