Labor Code: Kerala govt. finalize the decision after consultation with the unions

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan addressed a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday | Photo credit: ANI

Chief Minister VD Satheesan said on Wednesday that the decision on the implementation of labor laws in Kerala would be finalized after consultation with trade unions in the state. At a post-Cabinet press conference, Mr Satheesan said the decision was to resolve the “uncertainty” created by the replacement of earlier laws and the non-implementation of the new law passed by Parliament. “There is no labor law in force in the state now. Discussions with unions will focus on how the anti-labor provisions in the codes can be addressed,” he said.

The chief minister added that the objections were to “three or four important points” and not to the codes in their entirety. While it is easy to say that the labor code will not be implemented, it will also be difficult to protect labor rights in the absence of a law. All states except Kerala have implemented codes, Mr. Satheesan said. The Congress party also opposed the enactment of the codes in Parliament, he further said.

Addressing the Kerala Assembly in June, Labor Minister Bindhu Krishna said the state government has not yet finalized its position on the rulemaking of labor codes. According to her, the government will first scrutinize the recommendations made by the expert committee headed by former Supreme Court judge V. Gopala Gowda. This panel was created by the previous LDF government.

Published – 29 Jul 2026 16:59 IST