The Industrial Relations Code, 2020: Legislative Commentary

Labour is the backbone of modern society. Developing countries like India require a systematic and transparent approach to the conduct of their workforce. The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 was introduced to provide single comprehensive legislation to tackle all the requisite requirements for the workforce of the country. In view of the evolving requirements of the workforce, the Code aims to benefit both companies and employees. It intends to streamline the dispute resolution process, protect fixed-term workers, mandate the implementation of standing orders by all big industrial enterprises, establish a re-skilling fund for retrenched workers, and increase fines to prevent non-compliance. This legislative commentary aims to interpret the nuances with respect to the inherent need for an articulate labour code in India as well as their implementation in practice.