BMS threatens nationwide agitation over labour codes, demands IR and OSH amendments
Synopsis
India's Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh — which backed two of the four Labour Codes — is now threatening a nationwide agitation over the remaining two, specifically targeting provisions that restrict the right to strike and complicate trade union recognition. The warning signals a potential fracture between the RSS-affiliated union and the Centre's labour reform agenda.
Key Takeaways
The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has threatened a nationwide agitation against provisions in the Industrial Relations (IR) Code and the OSH Code .
All India General Secretary Surendra Kumar Pandey issued the warning on 15 June at the BMS Kerala State Committee conference in Ernakulam .
The BMS has accepted the Code on Wages and the Code on Social Security but objects to restrictions on the right to strike and trade union recognition.
The four Labour Codes consolidate 29 central labour laws ; the Centre says the reforms simplify compliance and improve ease of doing business.
BMS has called on Parliament to amend the contested provisions, warning it will unite other trade unions if the Centre does not act.
The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), one of India's largest trade unions, has announced plans for a nationwide agitation against key provisions of the Centre's Labour Codes, warning that the Industrial Relations (IR) Code and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code undermine workers' rights and weaken trade union functioning. The warning was issued on 15 June at the inauguration of the BMS Kerala State Committee's two-day conference in Ernakulam, Kochi.
What the BMS Objects To
All India General Secretary Surendra Kumar Pandey said the BMS's core objections centre on provisions that restrict the right to strike, complicate trade union recognition, and constrain the functioning of labour organisations. 'Despite these efforts, the concerns raised by trade unions were not adequately addressed while framing the rules under the Labour Codes,' Pandey alleged.
He made clear that the BMS cannot accept measures that make trade union activities more difficult without offering corresponding safeguards for workers. The organisation has, according to Pandey, repeatedly submitted formal representations and held discussions with the Union Labour Ministry — without satisfactory resolution.
What the BMS Has Accepted
Notably, the BMS has not opposed all four Labour Codes. Pandey said the union welcomed the Code on Wages and the Code on Social Security, crediting them with strengthening wage protection and extending social security coverage to a broader section of workers. The objections are specifically directed at the IR Code and the OSH Code.
The four Labour Codes were enacted to consolidate 29 central labour laws into four broad legislations. The Union government has maintained that the reforms are intended to simplify compliance, modernise labour regulations, and improve the ease of doing business.
The Agitation Warning
Pandey called on the Centre to amend the contested provisions through Parliament, stressing that labour rights and job security guaranteed under the Constitution must not be diluted. He warned that if corrective action is not taken, the BMS would work to build a coalition of like-minded trade unions across the country and launch a massive labour agitation.
This comes amid a broader national debate over whether India's labour reform agenda adequately balances ease of doing business with worker protections — a tension that has drawn criticism from multiple union federations since the codes were passed.
Who Attended the Conference
The meeting was presided over by State BMS President B. Shivaji Sudarsanan. All-India Vice-President Unnikrishnan Unnithan, Southern States Organising Secretary M.P. Rajeevan, and State Deputy General Secretary C. Balachandran also addressed the gathering. District leaders and representatives of various federations and unions from across Kerala are participating in the two-day conference.
The BMS's next steps — including a formal timeline for any agitation — are expected to be decided before the conference concludes.
Point of View
Which is affiliated with the RSS, is issuing this warning signals that the Centre's labour reform agenda may have overreached even its own ideological constituency. If the BMS follows through and builds a cross-union coalition, it could hand the opposition a rare issue where worker grievance and constitutional argument converge — a combination the government will find difficult to dismiss as purely political.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BMS agitation against the Labour Codes about?
The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) is threatening a nationwide agitation against provisions in the Industrial Relations (IR) Code and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, which it says restrict the right to strike, complicate trade union recognition, and weaken labour organisations. The BMS has called on Parliament to amend these provisions.
Which Labour Codes has the BMS accepted and which has it opposed?
The BMS has welcomed the Code on Wages and the Code on Social Security, crediting them with improving wage protection and extending social security coverage. Its objections are specifically directed at the Industrial Relations Code and the OSH Code.
What are the four Labour Codes enacted by the Centre?
The four Labour Codes — the Code on Wages, the Industrial Relations Code, the Code on Social Security, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code — were enacted to consolidate 29 central labour laws into four broad legislations. The government says the reform simplifies compliance and modernises labour regulations.
Who spoke at the BMS Kerala conference where the agitation warning was issued?
All India General Secretary Surendra Kumar Pandey issued the agitation warning at the BMS Kerala State Committee conference in Ernakulam on 15 June. The meeting was presided over by State President B. Shivaji Sudarsanan, with All-India Vice-President Unnikrishnan Unnithan, Southern States Organising Secretary M.P. Rajeevan, and State Deputy General Secretary C. Balachandran also addressing the gathering.
What happens next if the Centre does not amend the Labour Codes?
BMS General Secretary Surendra Kumar Pandey warned that if the Centre does not take corrective action through Parliament, the BMS will work to unite like-minded trade unions across the country and launch a massive nationwide labour agitation. The BMS's formal next steps are expected to be decided before the two-day Kerala conference concludes.
