A workers’ convention organised in Bengaluru on Sunday, February 1, has called on the union government to repeal the four Labour Codes, calling them exploitative and detrimental to workers’ interests. The convention was organised by the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) ahead of the national general strike called on February 12 by non-BJP affiliated trade unions.
Held at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru, the convention saw the participation of workers from different sectors, including factories; public sector units such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL); sanitation work; healthcare; garment units and street vending.
A booklet explaining the Labour Codes, titled “Karmika Samhitegalu: Modi Kattuttiruva Sullugala Anavarana” (Labour Codes: Exposing the Lies Being Spread by Modi), was released at the event.
Speakers at the convention pointed out that the Kerala government has formed a committee to draft pro-worker laws as an alternative to the Labour Codes. Retired Supreme Court judge Justice V Gopala Gowda and AICCTU Karnataka State Secretary and advocate Maitreyi Krishnan are members of the committee, according to a press release.
Retired Supreme Court judge Justice V Gopala Gowda, who addressed the gathering, said that labour laws were originally framed to protect the workers and to bring balance between labour and capital and he warned that the four new Labour Codes would weaken those protections and push workers into insecure conditions, according to a press release.
He also criticised recent remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant blaming “aggressive trade unionism” for industrial stagnation. Justice Gowda said that trade unions play a crucial role in securing dignity and rights for workers. He pointed out that even though domestic workers and informal labourers keep society running, their contribution continues to be ignored by institutions meant to protect them.
AICCTU National President V Shankar said that contract work has become permanent in many sectors. He warned that rising unemployment could push more workers into unstable jobs, similar to the conditions faced by app-based delivery workers.
Advocate and AICCTU National Vice President Clifton D’Rozario said workers are at a critical moment and must resist laws that reduce wages and job security. He noted that while workers are demanding a minimum wage of Rs 42,000, the Labour Codes only guarantee a basic floor wage.
AICCTU State Secretary and advocate Maitreyi Krishnan said the government’s claim that the Labour Codes benefit workers is misleading. She reminded workers that labour rights in India were achieved only through sustained struggles and called for united resistance.
The Union government passed four labour codes on November 21, 2025. However, since labour is a concurrent subject, both the Union government and state governments have the right to frame rules. Several states have not yet framed rules for all the labour codes.
The Code on Wages 2019; Industrial Relations Code 2020; Code on Social Security 2020, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020, which came into force on November 21, 2025, replaced 29 existing labour laws. They were passed without any consultation with trade unions.
The convention ended with a call to make the February 12 general strike a success.