Union Labour and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya addressed Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies on the theme 'Strengthening Labour and Skills Ecosystem' at an NFPRC Foundation workshop held in New Delhi on Friday, 26 June 2026. The minister used the platform to outline the Modi government's approach to labour reform, framing the policy agenda as one that simultaneously advances workers' welfare and business competitiveness.

Context

Mandaviya told the assembled legislators that the labour reforms undertaken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi strike a balance between 'Ease of Living' for workers and 'Ease of Doing Business' for employers — a dual objective the minister described as 'historic.' The workshop, organised by the NFPRC Foundation, brought together elected representatives from both Parliament and state legislatures, signalling a deliberate effort to build legislative consensus around ongoing reform implementation.

The choice of audience — sitting MPs and MLAs — reflects the centre's recognition that the success of national labour policy depends heavily on state-level action. State governments must frame and notify their own rules under the new framework before the codes can take full effect on the ground.

Policy Backdrop

Between 2019 and 2020, Parliament consolidated 44 central labour laws into four codes: the Code on Wages, the Industrial Relations Code, the Code on Social Security, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code. The consolidation was designed to reduce compliance complexity for employers while extending formal social security coverage to workers in the unorganised sector — a segment that accounts for the vast majority of India's workforce.

The four codes have been enacted at the central level but their operationalisation hinges on states notifying corresponding rules, a process that has proceeded at an uneven pace across the country. Outreach to state legislators is therefore a key lever for the Ministry of Labour and Employment to accelerate adoption.

Stakeholders and Impact

The reforms carry direct implications for India's estimated 50 crore-strong workforce, particularly the large unorganised segment that previously lacked access to portable social security benefits. For employers — especially small and medium enterprises — the codes promise a single compliance window replacing a patchwork of overlapping statutes.

State legislators present at the workshop are positioned as both advocates and implementers: they can push their respective state governments to expedite rule notification and can flag ground-level implementation challenges back to the centre. The skilling dimension of the ministry's mandate, which Mandaviya also oversees through the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, adds a workforce development layer to the labour reform agenda.

What's Next

The immediate watch point is the pace at which state governments notify rules under the four labour codes, which will determine when the consolidated framework moves from statute to operational reality for workers and businesses. Further ministerial engagements with legislators and industry bodies are expected as the government seeks to close the gap between central legislation and state-level implementation.

Mandaviya's address also signals that skilling programmes are likely to be positioned as a complement to the structural labour reforms — linking the regulatory simplification agenda to workforce capability-building ahead of the next parliamentary session.