National Policy on Labour and Employment Meeting

The Union Labour Ministry is set to hold a two-day meeting with state labour ministers on November 11 in the national capital to expedite and finalize the national policy on labour and employment.

Objective and Focus

• The meeting will involve participation from all states and Union Territories (UTs).
• The primary focus will be on the recently released draft Shram Niti (labour policy).
• Aim is to build consensus with states, acknowledging labour as both a state and central subject.
• The draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 is the first-ever attempt at a national policy on labour and employment.
• The policy seeks to shift the ministry's role to an employment facilitator rather than just a regulatory body.

Social Security Expansion

The meeting will also review the expansion of social security coverage across both organised and unorganised sectors, and assess the integration of the eShram database with other schemes.

• 12 schemes have been integrated on the eShram portal.
• India's social security coverage increased from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025.
• States will be urged to further expand social security coverage.

Labour Codes Discussion

• Labour code implementation is not on the agenda but can be discussed if states raise the issue.

Previous Meeting

This is the second conference of state labour ministers this year. In January, discussions focused on implementing the four new labour codes. Progress included:

• Over 18 states and UTs have implemented most reforms.
• More than 32 states and UTs have pre-published draft rules under the four labour codes.
• Remaining states and UTs have also made satisfactory progress.