National conference on construction workers' welfare to be held in Mumbai

The Labour Ministry and Maharashtra govt are organising a 2-day national conference in Mumbai to review the new Labour Codes and bolster welfare mechanisms for construction workers. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will chair the event.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment, in collaboration with the Maharashtra government, will organise a two-day National Conference on Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) in Mumbai on September 11-12 to review the implementation of the new Labour Codes and strengthen welfare delivery mechanisms for construction workers.

The conference will be held under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya and will be attended by Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment and MSME Shobha Karandlaje, Labour Ministers and senior officials from States and Union Territories, Chairpersons and Secretaries of BOCW Welfare Boards, and senior officers from the Central and State governments.

The construction sector is among the largest sources of employment in the country and supports the livelihoods of millions of workers. With the implementation of the new Labour Codes, the conference will provide a platform to take stock of the evolving BOCW framework and strengthen the functioning of Welfare Boards.

Key Agenda and Discussions

According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, "Deliberations will cover statutory responsibilities, worker registration, welfare delivery, monitoring and utilisation of welfare funds, as well as opportunities for greater convergence and technology-enabled service delivery."

"An important component of the Conference will be the sharing of innovative practices and successful interventions by the State BOCW Welfare Boards. The discussions are intended to facilitate cross-learning and identify approaches that can be adapted and replicated to improve the reach and effectiveness of welfare measures for construction workers," the Ministry added.

The Ministry said the conference will also review the progress of three major initiatives launched at the National Labour Conference held in New Delhi in November 2025 -- the State BOCW Digital Labour Chowk, Labour Chowk-cum-Facilitation Centres and the Online BOCW Cess Collection Portal. These initiatives seek to strengthen employment facilitation, provide more dignified and accessible worker-centric services, and improve transparency and efficiency in cess collection and monitoring, the Ministry said.

The two-day programme will also deliberate on International Labour Mobility Pathways, skilling and employment opportunities, labour statistics and the labour stack.

Conference Aims and Objectives

The conference aims to strengthen coordination between the Centre, States and Union Territories and BOCW Welfare Boards, identify implementation gaps and establish priority actions for more effective and accessible delivery of social security, welfare and employment opportunities to construction workers. (ANI)

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