Centre Notifies Rules for All Four Labour Codes, Completing Major Reform

The Centre has notified the rules for all four national labour codes, completing the implementation of a major overhaul of India's labour regulations that consolidates 29 existing laws. The rules, published in the official gazette, now operationalise the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, which collectively came into force on November 21, 2025.

The new framework introduces mandatory appointment letters, limits weekly working hours to 48, ensures one weekly rest day, and mandates overtime pay for extra hours. It also requires free annual health check-ups for employees aged 40 and above, guarantees equal pay and opportunities for women across shifts, and establishes a National Reskilling Fund for displaced workers needing retraining.

The reforms aim to simplify compliance, expand worker protections, and promote formal employment, with provisions for universal social security coverage and a unified wage structure. Since labour is a concurrent subject, state governments must now notify their own rules to ensure nationwide enforcement.

Union officials said the final notification allows enforcement of operational procedures previously stalled pending rule formulation. The Ministry of Labour will monitor state-level adoption and compliance as the new regime is rolled out across sectors.