The Ministry of Labour & Employment has launched Shram Samvad, a nationwide 90-day awareness and capacity-building campaign to help employers, workers and other stakeholders understand the four Labour Codes and their compliance requirements. The campaign began on 28 September 2026 and will cover 316 districts across all 36 States and Union Territories, with an emphasis on industrial clusters.
The initiative aims to close the gap between what the new labour laws say and how they work in practice. Five district-level programmes were held on 30 September 2026 in Bhiwadi and Bhilwara (Rajasthan), East Delhi, Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Maharashtra) to set the campaign in motion.
Key facts
- Shram Samvad campaign duration: 90 days, starting 28 September 2026
- Coverage: 316 districts across 36 States and Union Territories
- Five launch programmes held on 30 September 2026 in Bhiwadi, East Delhi, Dehradun, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Bhilwara
- Participation: 100-200 stakeholders at each location, including employers, industry associations, HR professionals and legal experts
- Codes covered: Code on Wages (2019), Industrial Relations Code (2020), Code on Social Security (2020), Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020)
What the four Labour Codes cover
India adopted four new labour codes to replace multiple older labour laws. These codes standardise rules across sectors and states. The Code on Wages sets minimum wage and payment standards. The Industrial Relations Code addresses disputes between employers and workers. The Code on Social Security extends benefits like provident funds, health insurance and maternity support to more workers. The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code ensures workplace safety standards and working conditions.
The Shram Samvad campaign explains the objectives, scope and practical requirements of each code to help employers comply correctly.
What employers need to know
The technical sessions at each location focused on several key areas. These include the applicability thresholds (size of business or number of workers that triggers each code), employer obligations regarding wages and appointment letters, rules on working hours and overtime, social-security coverage for employees, workplace safety requirements, rules on contract labour, and mechanisms for handling industrial disputes.
Interactive question-and-answer sessions allowed employers and professionals to raise practical concerns about compliance. Officials from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and the Central Labour Commissioner’s office attended to answer implementation-related questions directly.
Government employment schemes promoted
The programmes also highlighted two employment support schemes: the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY), which provides incentives for job creation, and the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM), which provides pension benefits to informal sector workers. These were presented as complementary to the Labour Codes’ social-security provisions.
Participation and organisation
The Ministry collaborated with state labour departments, industry bodies and chambers of commerce to organise the programmes. In Bhiwadi, the Bhiwadi Manufacturers Association and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) partnered with the Ministry. In Dehradun, the Partnership for Healthy Development and Competitiveness Council of India (PHDCCI) facilitated. At Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) participated. Senior officials from the Ministry, including Joint Secretaries and Directors, led the sessions at each location.
What this means for you
If you are an employer or HR professional, attending these district-level programmes will clarify your obligations under the new codes, help you avoid penalties and ensure your business complies with labour law. If you are a worker, understanding the codes will help you know your rights regarding wages, working conditions, safety and social security. If you work in an informal sector job, the schemes promoted (especially PM-SYM) may offer you pension and insurance protection.
The 90-day timeline means these programmes will continue across many more districts in the coming months. Your district is likely to host one.
What happens next
The campaign will expand to cover all 316 districts over the next 90 days. Further programmes will be announced district by district. Employers and organisations can look for announcements from their state labour departments or district administration for the schedule of programmes in their areas.