Introduction
As a part of the labour reform initiative, the labour ministry
has decided to amalgamate 44 labour laws into four codes: (i) code
on wages, (ii) code on industrial relations, (iii) code on social
security and safety, and (iv) code on health and working
conditions.
The Code on Industrial Relations Bill, 2019 (IR
Code), which aims to streamline industrial relations and
help India improve its ease of doing business index, was introduced
in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr.
Santosh Kumar Gangwar, on November 28, 2019. The Union Cabinet
chaired by the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, has given its
approval for the introduction of the IR Code in the Parliament. The
IR Code is the third of four labour codes to receive the approval
from the Cabinet. It was subsequently referred to the Standing
Committee on December 23, 2019. The report by the Standing
Committee is due in three months from the date of referral i.e., by
March 2020.
