A two-day State-Level Capacity-Building and Awareness Programme, “Shram Samvad”, on Labour Codes, Labour Welfare and Social Protection was jointly organized by Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE), Government of India (GoI) and Labour Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP) at Taj Hotel, Lucknow on 26th and 27th October, 2026.
The programme was aimed at enhancing awareness among employers, HR, Legal and Finance professionals regarding the new Labour Codes and rules made thereunder. It also focused on strengthening awareness and institutional capacity on labour reforms, welfare and social protection, and promoting Centre-State coordination, stakeholder engagement as well as technology-enabled delivery of labour and employment services. The programme was attended by senior officials from MoLE, Labour Department, GoUP, Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) [CLC (C)], Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Directorate General Labour Welfare (DGLW) along with employers, industry representatives, and legal, HR and finance professionals.
Day 1: Context-Setting, Keynote Address & Technical Sessions
The first day focused on labour reforms, social protection and the State labour ecosystem. Shri Anil Rajbhar, Minister for Labour and Employment, GoUP, addressed the programme. Dr. Ashish Kumar Goel, Additional Chief Secretary, Labour & Employment, GoUP, delivered the welcome address and set the context for the programme. Dr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Secretary, Labour & Employment, Government of India, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the transformative potential of the Labour Codes, Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) welfare, social protection, technology-enabled service delivery and stronger Centre-State collaboration.
Technical sessions covered implementation of the Labour Codes in Uttar Pradesh; convergence of social protection schemes and extension of coverage to unorganised, gig and platform workers; BOCW registration, cess and welfare benefits; international mobility; State best practices; ESIC and EPFO initiatives; and digital platforms including e-Shram, Shram Suvidha Portal, SAMADHAN Portal and Labour Stack. The sessions were addressed by senior representatives of the MoLE, Govt. of UP, ESIC and EPFO.
Day 2: Implementation of Labour Codes and Way Forward
The second day was attended by employers, industry representatives, and legal, HR and finance professionals. Shri Manohar Lal Mannu Kori, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Government of Uttar Pradesh addressed the participants. The technical session on the Labour Codes was chaired by Shri Alok Chandra, Principal Labour Economics Adviser (PLEA), Ministry of Labour & Employment. Dr. P. K. Jena, Director (Labour Reforms), MoLE, presented an overview of the Labour Codes, followed by an address by Sessions on compliances under the Code on Wages, 2019, Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Social Security, 2020 and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. The sessions were presented by senior representatives of MoLE and Govt. of UP. The discussions focused on practical compliance requirements and implementation issues under the four Labour Codes.
The programme also included sessions on the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY), moderated by Ms. Richa Sharma, Director, MoLE; and addressed by Shri Uday Baxi, ACC, EPFO, and the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana (PM-SYM), addressed by Shri Pradyumn Kumar Rana, Welfare Commissioner, DGLW, MoLE. Thereafter, an open Q&A session provided participants an opportunity to seek clarifications on the provisions, implementation and compliance requirements under the Labour Codes and Rules.
A dedicated session on prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, convergence and district-level monitoring of child labour, along with identification, release, rehabilitation and interdepartmental coordination for bonded labour, was presented by Shri Syed Rizwan Ali, State Coordinator, Child Labour. Shri Ashok Kumar, Retired IAS, presented the Veilpur experience of sustained elimination of child labour and discussed strategies for total elimination and rehabilitation.
To facilitate the employers and professions in effective implementation of the Labour Codes and Rules, ‘Handbook of Compliance for Employers’ and ‘Compilation of Frequently Asked Questions’ developed by MoLE were also shared with the participants. Open house sessions to address questions and queries from participants and address the gaps in understanding provisions of Codes and Rules as well as social security schemes were also held on both days, and more than 100 questions were deliberated.
The programme concluded with closing remarks and a vote of thanks by Shri Kunal Silku, Special Secretary, Labour & Employment, Govt. of UP. The programme reaffirmed the need for coordinated action, simplified compliance, technology-driven delivery and stronger convergence to ensure effective implementation of labour reforms and wider social protection. Uttar Pradesh gave assurance of their intent to conduct similar Shram Samvad programmes in other industrial districts of the State.