Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan stated on Wednesday that Kerala will finalize its position on implementing the Labour Codes after consulting trade unions in the state. Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing, he said the move seeks to resolve uncertainty caused by the repeal of prior laws and the non-implementation of new parliamentary legislation. He noted that no labour law currently applies in the state. The talks will examine ways to address anti-worker provisions in the codes. Satheesan added that objections focus on three or four key points rather than the codes as a whole. While rejecting the codes outright may seem simple, protecting labour rights without legislation will be difficult. He observed that every state except Kerala has implemented the codes. The Congress party had also opposed the codes during their passage in Parliament. In June, Labour Minister Bindhu Krishna told the Kerala Assembly that the government had not yet decided on framing rules under the codes. She said a detailed review of recommendations from an expert committee headed by former Supreme Court judge V. Gopala Gowda would come first. The panel was set up by the previous LDF government.
