IN the name of simplification of laws, Modi is effectively removing all laws that guarantee minimum wages, minimum norms of conditions of service, etc. This is being done by throwing out existing 44 labour laws and replacing it with 4 Codes. These are “Labour Code on Wages”, “Labour Code on Industrial Relations”, “Labour Code on Social Security and Welfare” and “Labour Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions”.

A cursory look at these Codes reveals that rights and protection guaranteed under the existing 44 laws would all be removed, and capital-friendly Codes would be enacted. Modi has repeatedly lied that these Codes are necessary since there are too many overlapping laws and that the Codes are worker-friendly. However, the real intent in proposing the said Codes is to do away with the hard won rights of the workers and reduce the entire enforcement agency into subserving the interest of the employers, of corporates and MNCs. This is the true face of “ease of doing business” while making hard the livelihood of poor workers.