Bhimrao “Babasaheb” Ambedkar, known as the architect of India’s Constitution and the first Union Law Minister of independent India, began his political journey by organising the Independent Labour Party to address the issues of the labouring classes in colonial India. But he was not concerned only with the material conditions of labour. He wanted to go beyond survival. For him, labour must be able to live a life of self-development of their human, cultural and spiritual personalities.In 1942, as the call for Independence was steadily gaining momentum and the vision of a “New India” was being widely discussed, Ambedkar had already begun laying the foundations of modern India. Nearly a month before the launch of the Quit India movement, Ambedkar was appointed as the Labour Member in the Viceroy’s Executive Council, where he introduced a slew of pathbreaking legislation for the welfare of labour or the working classes.This included reduction of working hours from 12 hours to 8 hours, maternity benefit for women workers, provident fund for finers, paid leave and dearness allowance, compulsory recognition of trade unions, housing and medical facilities for workers, creation of employment exchanges, employee state insurance, and many more.Ambedkar’s experience as the Labour Member (1942-46) is reflected even in the making of the Constitution, particularly on the provisions related to Labour. For instance, through Article 39, the Constitution directs the State to design policies to ensure “adequate means to livelihood for all its citizens, and equal pay for equal work for both men and women”.Through Article 43, it directs the State “to secure, by suitable legislation or economic organisation or in any other way, to all workers, agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage, conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full enjoyment of leisure and social and cultural opportunities”.Most importantly, the Constitution actively seeks to eliminate the glaring economic inequalities by stating “that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to sub serve the common good; that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment”.A watershed momentStory continues below this adIn the colonial era, particularly after the two World Wars, industrialisation began to expand its footprint in the Global South, including nations under imperial rule. Although still in its early stages, it was already pushing vast masses out of agrarian, feudal set-ups into a labour-driven capitalist economy.This was also a time when little to no attention was given to the interests of labour, on the assumption that early industrialisation could not afford to accommodate labour rights. Against this backdrop, Ambedkar’s contributions to labour legislation marked a watershed moment for the Indian labour movement. During his tenure as Labour Member, India set important benchmarks in labour rights and moved towards meeting global standards for protections that workers are entitled to.Also read | Ambedkar Jayanti is not really a celebration. It’s a sleight-of-hand by powers-that-beAlso, in 1942, a Tripartite Labour Conference was held in New Delhi — the first of its kind in India’s history — where the government, employers, and employees came together to discuss their common problems. Issues that were earlier dealt with separately, without any collaborative effort, were now addressed jointly. As the chairman of the conference, Ambedkar ensured that labour and management were brought face-to-face as equals. The conference marked a new phase in the relationship between industry and labour, laying the foundation for the evolution of labour policy and the formulation of key schemes.Story continues below this adThe conference also aimed at the formulation of a uniform labour code and raised concerns about placing it in the Concurrent List. The fear was that individual provinces might enact laws suited to their own conditions, leading to variations across the country and undermining national uniformity. As Ambedkar noted, if there was no central legislation, each province might frame its own laws “by allowing Provincial considerations to dominate over considerations of general and national importance”.Under Ambedkar, these conferences became far more active than before, meeting regularly from 1942 to 1946. Through them, many labour policies were discussed, debated and deliberated for the future. Ambedkar, as Labour Member in the Viceroy’s Executive Council, addressing the Conference of Labour Commissioners. Photo: Wikimedia CommonsAmbedkar’s efforts led to the formation of the Labour Investigation Committee in early 1944. This first-of-its-kind fact-finding body examined critical aspects of labour life such as wages, working conditions, housing, and broader social realities, creating an evidence-based foundation for future social security policies.The Committee also extended its inquiry into a wide range of sectors that had previously been neglected, going beyond industries like coal and cotton. These early attempts at systematic investigation generated a wealth of information on both industrial conditions and the lived realities of labour, paving the way for more grounded and evidence-based policy making for Indian workers and their workplaces.Story continues below this adAmbedkar’s experiences during his 1943 visit to Chota Nagpur to see the lives of mine workers translated into policy some years later. A Bill he introduced in the Central Assembly (as the Lower House of Parliament was called during British rule) led to the establishment of the Mica Mines Labour Welfare Fund in 1946 to support welfare measures for workers in the mica mining industry. While introducing the Bill, Ambedkar stressed the urgency of reform, pointing to the intolerable conditions he had witnessed. This led to similar welfare funds being created for workers in coal, iron ore, manganese, limestone, dolomite, and the beedi industry.Another key amendment followed in 1946, when Ambedkar pushed for a provision requiring mine owners to provide separate bathing facilities for male and female workers. While presenting the Indian Mines Amendment Bill, Ambedkar stressed the need for pithead baths with showers and lockers, not just as a matter of hygiene but of dignity, so that miners could return home clean and with a sense of self respect. Ambedkar with his associates of the Independent Labour Party, a political party he founded in 1937. Photo: Wikimedia CommonsEven before becoming a Labour Member, Ambedkar had been raising the issue of maternity benefits in the legislature, arguing that women workers must not be forced to choose between livelihood and childbirth. The Maternity Benefit Act of 1929 reflected these early efforts and stood as one of his earliest interventions on the issue, even before such protections were widely taken up at the international level.This framework was further strengthened through amendments in 1943 and 1945, which clarified benefits and expanded both the duration of leave and wage support, especially for women working in mines. The period of maternity benefit was extended to 16 weeks, with 10 weeks before childbirth and 6 weeks after.Story continues below this adThe total period of authorised absence could go up to 26 weeks, with provisions for limited working hours in certain cases. Women workers were also provided wage support during this period. These changes showed a growing recognition that women workers could not be treated as expendable within the industrial system.Also read | We know Ambedkar’s name. We don’t read his people.Alongside these measures, the idea of social insurance also began to take shape in India. It was first formally discussed in 1928, when proposals around sickness insurance were considered under the influence of the International Labour Organization (ILO). While these early recommendations were not accepted at the time, the Royal Commission on Labour and the ILO continued to push for a more structured system of social security.From discussion to actionIn Ambedkar’s tenure, this shifted from discussion to action. Through amendments to existing laws, new protections for women workers, and measures around compensation and welfare, Ambedkar laid the foundation for a more inclusive labour policy. These efforts did not just address immediate concerns but set the ground for future legislation on health, maternity benefits, and protection against industrial accidents.NewsletterFollow our daily newsletter so you never miss anything important. On Wednesday, we answer readers' questions.SubscribeMajor changes were brought through amendments to the Factories Act, addressing long working hours and the absence of basic welfare measures for workers. Ambedkar argued that this was the right moment to intervene, as workers who had been working excessively long hours during the war needed immediate relief. He made it clear that reducing working hours was not only necessary for the health and dignity of workers, but could also help address unemployment by distributing work more evenly. At the same time, he ensured that this reduction would not lead to any cut in wages or dearness allowance.Story continues below this adThese changes also brought India closer to international labour standards. While earlier India had longer working hours, the new framework moved towards the global norm of a 48-hour workweek, which had emerged as a compromise between international conventions and the demands of workers’ organisations.Ambedkar’s untiring efforts to secure these safeguards for labour in the pre-independence legislations and in the Constitution bears testimony to the champion of labour rights in him. But despite this, he was clear about one thing: labour rights cannot survive on reforms alone. He strongly believed that labour must enter the affairs of politics and find their solution beyond trade unionism as well — that is, to sustain the rights they have achieved, they must have representation in the politics of the country.The author is a Master’s student in Development at Azim Premji University. He works with BAWS.in, an online library of Ambedkar’s writings and speeches.