Gurgaon witnessed a significant protest on Wednesday as trade unions representing industrial workers, municipal staff, and sanitation employees gathered outside the district commissioner's office. Marking their 'Demand Day,' the demonstrators voiced strong opposition to what they described as growing police repression of labour movements across the country. They demanded the withdrawal of the four labour codes and urged the acceptance of long-pending demands of workers in Haryana.
Labour Codes Under Fire
The four codes in question—the Code on Wages, 2019; Industrial Relations Code, 2020; Code on Social Security, 2020; and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020—came into force on November 21, 2025. Protesters argued that these codes undermine workers' rights and job security.
Protest Actions and Allegations
During the dharna, workers, employees, and union leaders from various central trade unions and associations, under the banner of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), raised slogans against what they termed the 'anti-labour' policies of the central and state governments. They burned copies of the four labour codes, labeling them a direct assault on hard-won labour rights.
Anil Pawar, state secretary of AITUC, alleged that the new labour codes would dismantle job security, expand contract labour, increase working hours, and restrict the rights to unionize and protest. He claimed that the codes give 'unrestricted freedom' to employers. 'The governments are responding to labour unrest with suppression instead of solutions. See the cases registered against protesting workers and union leaders in several states,' Pawar said.
Solidarity with Striking Workers
Several union leaders expressed solidarity with striking sanitation workers, municipal employees, and fire department staff in Haryana. Among them were Sarwan Kumar, district secretary and state vice-president of the All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC); Satbir Singh, state vice-president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions; Mukesh Sharma of the Indian National Trade Union Congress; and Jaspal Rana of Hind Mazdoor Sabha.
'These workers have been agitating for permanent jobs, equal pay for equal work, scrapping of contractual employment, regular recruitment, and social security, but instead of resolving their issues, authorities are trying to crush the agitation,' Satbir said. Mukesh added, 'If the anti-worker policies and repressive measures continue, the labour movement would be intensified in the coming days.'
