Trade Union Movement — Key Changes

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
42nd Amendment Act	1976	Inserted Article 43A into the Directive Principles of State Policy.	Mandated the State to take steps to secure the participation of workers in the management of undertakings, establishments, or other organizations engaged in any industry. This provided a constitutional directive for worker empowerment beyond mere association, aiming for greater industrial democracy.
	2020	Consolidated 29 central labour laws into four comprehensive codes: Code on Wages, Industrial Relations Code, Code on Social Security, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code.	Aimed to simplify and rationalize labour laws, but significantly altered provisions related to trade union registration, collective bargaining, right to strike, retrenchment, and social security. Unions largely view these as diluting workers' rights and strengthening employer prerogatives, leading to ongoing protests and debates.