Labour Codes: Centre Pre-publishes Draft Rules

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday pre-published draft rules on the four labour codes on wages, industrial relation, social security and safety, health and working conditions to seek stakeholders' feedback.

The publishing of rules under the four codes is necessary to make the new laws fully operational.

The four labour codes -- Code on Wages, 2019, Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 were notified.

The government intends to fully operationalise the four codes from April 1, 2026 across the country in one go.

Now the states are also in the process of formally publishing the rules under the four codes as the labour is a concurrent subject.

The ministry has given 30 days from publishing the draft rules for providing feedback to stakeholders for the Industrial Relations Code, 2020.

The ministry has given 45 days for providing feedback on the remaining three codes.

Commenting on the development, Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said in the statement, "The release of the draft rules under the four Labour Codes marks a key step in operationalising India's labour reforms. By offering clear and practical implementation pathways, the rules help industry prepare with confidence, simplify compliance, and support sustainable growth, while strengthening worker protections."

Earlier this month, addressing CII IndiaEdge 2025, Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said draft rules under the four labour codes will be pre-published shortly.

He had also said earlier the central government as well as states had pre-published draft rules, but that was a long time ago, and now there is a need for bringing draft rules again in sync with present times.

The minister also highlighted the government's intent to meet the target of providing social security to 100 crore workers by March 2026, up from existing 94 crore in the country.

The social security coverage had expanded from 19 per cent in 2015 to over 64 per cent in 2025.

Since labour is a concurrent subject, appropriate governments -- Centre and states -- will have to notify the rules under the four codes to enforce these fully across the country.

The enforcement of the codes will mark the next transformative step -- broadening worker protection, easing business operations and promoting a pro-worker labour ecosystem.

The minister had also highlighted various provisions of the labour codes like mandatory appointment letter, free health check-up for workers of the age of 40 years and above, equal work equal pay and equal opportunity for women for work in different shifts.