TLC · Independent Publication · May 2026
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All Four Notified · 8 May 2026

Final Central Rules Under
India's Labour Codes — The Hub

On Friday, 8 May 2026, the Ministry of Labour and Employment notified the final Central Rules under all four Labour Codes — the Code on Wages (G.S.R. 343(E)), the Code on Social Security (G.S.R. 344(E)), the Industrial Relations Code (plus Model Standing Orders, 2026), and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (G.S.R. 345(E)). Twenty-nine central labour laws repealed. Four consolidated Codes in force since 21 November 2025. The procedural rulebooks are now live.

Notification Date
Friday, 8 May 2026
Codes In Effect
21 November 2025
Old Laws Repealed
29 central statutes
Status
4 of 4 ✓
4/4
Codes Rules Notified
29
Old Laws Repealed
3
Registers (Was 80+)
1
Registration Form
8 May
All In Force 2026
Editor's Note

The wait is over. All four rulebooks are live.

After a forty-five-day public consultation that closed in February 2026, the Ministry of Labour and Employment notified the final Central Rules under all four Labour Codes on a single Friday evening. The Code on Wages rules supersede seventeen prior instruments dating to 1937. The Social Security rules supersede nine welfare statutes including the Employee's Compensation Rules of 1924. The OSH rules supersede fifteen sets of procedural rules spanning factories, mines, docks, contract labour and inter-state migrants. The IR rules and Model Standing Orders 2026 replace the 1946 industrial employment framework.

This page is the gateway. Each Code has its own full deep-dive — sourced directly from the gazette text, with key numbers, FAQ, and action items. Click into the one that matters to you.

The Labour Codes Editorial · Published 9 May 2026 · Last updated 10 May 2026
The Four Rulebooks

Every Code. Every deep-dive. One click away.

Each deep-dive is built directly from the gazette text — every rule reference, form number, threshold and timeline sourced from the official notification. Where the rules are silent, the page is silent.

Code I of IV
Code on Wages
Final Rules Notified
G.S.R. 343(E) · 8 May 2026 · 54 rules · 8 chapters
Supersedes 17 prior rules spanning 1937–2021. The 26-divisor formula made statutory. Five-day-week employers get Saturday + Sunday as dual paid rest days. Three registers replace 8+. Wage slip in Form 5 mandatory every cycle. VDA on fixed dates (1 Apr, 1 Oct). Bonus set-on/set-off with Appendix A walkthrough. Composition at 50% of max fine.
17
Laws Replaced
3
Registers
9
Forms
Open Wages Deep-Dive →
Code II of IV
Industrial Relations
Final Rules + MSO 2026 Notified
8 May 2026 · 13 chapters · + Model Standing Orders
Final IR Central Rules plus Model Standing Orders, 2026 covering mining, manufacturing and services. Seven worker classifications including fixed-term. Grievance Redressal Committees at 20+ workers. Standing order certification at 300+. ICCs for sexual harassment codified. Electronic notices and wage records. 14-day strike/lock-out notice framework.
13
Chapters
7
Worker Types
16+
Forms
Open IR Deep-Dive →
Code III of IV
Social Security
Final Rules Notified
G.S.R. 344(E) · 8 May 2026 · 69 rules · 14 chapters
Supersedes 9 welfare statutes from the 1924 Compensation Rules to the 2009 Unorganised Workers Rules. Fixed-term gratuity from year one. Form-III as the single nomination across PF/ESI/gratuity. Gig worker registration on designated portal (age 16+). Aggregator contribution at 1–2% of turnover. Crèche at 50+ employees within 1 km. Form-XXIII replaces 80+ legacy registers.
9
Laws Replaced
30
Forms
69
Rules
Open SS Deep-Dive → Forms Walkthrough
Code IV of IV
Occupational Safety, Health
Final Rules Notified
G.S.R. 345(E) · 8 May 2026 · 13 sectors · ~185 rules
Supersedes 15 prior rules across factories, mines, docks, construction, contract labour, inter-state migrants, journalists, cine workers, and more. Appointment letter format prescribed (16 fields). Women in night shifts with 8 mandatory conditions. Single multi-state contractor licence with 45-day auto-generation. Safety Committees at 500+. Accident reporting within 12 hours. 2% statutory annual increment for contract workers.
15
Laws Replaced
13
Sectors
~50
Forms
Open OSH Deep-Dive →
29
Old Laws Repealed
1
Registration Form (All 4 Codes)
7days
Auto-Deemed Registration
1return
Unified Electronic Filing
What Comes Next

Central Rules are live. State alignment is the next variable.

The Central Rules apply predominantly to establishments where the Central Government is the appropriate government — telecom, banking and insurance, mines, oil fields, major ports, air transport, and central public sector undertakings and their contractors. For everyone else, the State Rules govern — and these vary significantly across states. Several have already notified finals; many remain in draft. For multi-state employers, divergence between Central and State Rules can produce differing compliance approaches across locations.
State Rules Tracker →
Source & Methodology

Sourced from the gazette. Nowhere else.

Every deep-dive on this site is built directly from the relevant gazette text — G.S.R. 343(E) for Wages, G.S.R. 344(E) for Social Security, and G.S.R. 345(E) for OSH. The IR deep-dive is sourced from the official notification and Model Standing Orders, 2026 gazette. Every rule reference, form number, threshold and timeline is taken from the gazette text. Where the rules are silent, this site is silent. We do not paraphrase from press summaries.

This is an independent publication. It is not affiliated with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Government of India, or any consulting or law firm. Nothing on this site is legal advice. For your compliance position, consult counsel.

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Source & methodology. This hub page links to deep-dives built directly from the Gazette of India Extraordinary notifications dated 8 May 2026: G.S.R. 343(E) (Wages), G.S.R. 344(E) (Social Security), G.S.R. 345(E) (OSH), and the IR notification with Model Standing Orders, 2026. This page is informational and does not constitute legal advice. The Labour Codes is an independent publication and is not affiliated with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Government of India, or any consulting or law firm.