Maharashtra Labour Minister Akash Phundkar on Tuesday, 7 July directed four independent expert committees of the state labour department to hold in-depth consultations with the Joint Action Committee of Labour Unions before any draft rules under the new labour codes are forwarded to the Union Ministry of Labour. The directive signals that Maharashtra intends to pursue a structured, consensus-driven approach rather than a top-down rollout of the four Central labour codes.

The Four Draft Codes at Stake

The state government has already framed four sets of draft rules in alignment with the Centre's consolidated labour legislation: the Maharashtra Code on Wages Rules, the Maharashtra Industrial Relations Code Rules, the Maharashtra Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, and the Maharashtra Social Security Code Rules. Draft rules have been published and are open to objections and suggestions from stakeholders.

What Phundkar Directed

Chairing a meeting attended by key office-bearers from major union federations — including INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AICCTU, NTUI, and BKS — Phundkar made clear that safeguarding workers' interests is the government's topmost priority ahead of implementation. He instructed the labour department to immediately release an official schedule for consultative meetings, ensuring the process is substantive rather than ceremonial. All reasonable demands, suggestions, and objections raised by unions will be officially recorded, he assured.

The Consultation Roadmap

The four expert committees are required to coordinate closely with the Joint Action Committee of Labour Unions for structured, round-by-round deliberations. Only after this extensive consultation is concluded will a comprehensive joint report — incorporating all findings and recommendations — be compiled and submitted to the Union Ministry of Labour for approval and subsequent action. Notably, the minister's insistence on a formal schedule suggests earlier consultations were at risk of being treated as a formality.

Why This Matters for Workers

The four Central labour codes — which consolidate 29 existing Central laws — have been a subject of sustained opposition from trade unions across India, who argue that several provisions dilute job security, ease retrenchment norms, and weaken collective bargaining rights. Maharashtra's move to institutionalise union input before sending its state rules to the Centre is being watched as a potential template by other large industrial states. This comes amid a broader national debate on the pace and terms of labour code implementation, with several states yet to finalise their own rules.

What Happens Next

The labour department is expected to publish a formal consultation calendar shortly. Once expert committees complete their deliberations with union bodies, the joint report will determine the final shape of Maharashtra's state-level rules before they receive Central clearance. Workers' rights and social security provisions, Phundkar said, will remain completely uncompromised through this process.