Mumbai: The Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra, will organise a National Conference on Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) in Mumbai on September 11–12, 2026. The conference will be chaired by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports.
The conference will bring together Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, along with Labour Ministers and senior officials from States and Union Territories, Chairpersons and Secretaries of BOCW Welfare Boards, and senior officers from Central and State governments.
The construction sector remains one of the country’s largest sources of employment and supports the livelihoods of millions of workers. Against the backdrop of the implementation of the new Labour Codes, the conference will provide a platform to review the evolving BOCW framework and strengthen the functioning of Welfare Boards.
Key deliberations will focus on statutory responsibilities, worker registration, welfare delivery, monitoring and utilisation of welfare funds, along with opportunities for greater convergence and technology-enabled service delivery. State BOCW Welfare Boards will also share innovative practices and successful interventions, enabling cross-learning and identifying approaches that can be adapted and replicated across different States.
A major focus will be on reviewing progress on three initiatives launched during 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 are aimed at strengthening employment facilitation, providing more dignified and accessible worker-centric services, and improving transparency and efficiency in cess collection and monitoring.
The two-day conference will also deliberate on International Labour Mobility Pathways, skilling and employment opportunities, labour statistics and the labour stack. Discussions are expected to strengthen coordination among the Centre, States/UTs and BOCW Welfare Boards while identifying implementation gaps and establishing priority actions.
The conference aims to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of social security, welfare and employment opportunities for construction workers across the country.
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