Centre clarified more than a year ago that TN can continue social security schemes amid UWF strike in Chennai

The overarching demand of the UWF for hitting the street in Tamil Nadu is that the state should protect existing sector specific labour welfare laws and ensure that social security measures do not get impacted due to the labour codes | Photo Credit: Nadezhda Kurbatova

A day after the Unorganised Workers Federation (UWF) kickstarted an indefinite hunger strike in Chennai, the Ministry of Labour & Employment on Tuesday said that concerns of the unions are “completely baseless and arise out of a misunderstanding” of the provisions of the four Labour Codes.

The Central Ministry officials also said that the State government got clarifications more than a year ago on January 2, 2025, that they can “continue with its existing social security schemes after the implementation of the Code of Social Security, 2020,” provided there is no inconsistency with the proposed central law, revealed correspondence between the Ministry’s Labour Reform Cell and Secretary Labour Welfare & Skill Development Department, Tamil Nadu, accessed by businessline.  

The Ministry also replied to a letter from the Labour Welfare & Skill Development Department stating that it’s the responsibility of the State to “frame and notify, from time to time, suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers including schemes relating to - (i) provident fund; (ii) employment injury benefit; (iii) housing (iv) educational schemes for children (v) skill upgradation of workers (vi) funeral assistance and (vii) old age homes.”

The Ministry had cleared the Centre’s position on the issue after taking legal opinion on the matter raised by the Tamil Nadu government, as per the letters exchanged between the two.

The overarching demand of the UWF for hitting the street in Tamil Nadu is that the State government should protect existing sector specific labour welfare laws and ensure that the measures do not get impacted due to the labour codes. The Federation specifically sought continuation of welfare boards for the unorganised workers such as those involved in construction, agriculture, domestic and in other informal sector.

To that, the Ministry officials pointed out that detailed clarifications were issued to the National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU) and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh on the subjects raised, way back on December 10, 2025. The Ministry through letters to both the unions stressed that State government welfare schemes will also continue, and there will be no adverse impact on Labour Welfare Boards set up by the States or on any existing social security schemes. 

Published on February 17, 2026