Labour reforms: Government fully operationalises four new codes by publishing rules

After a long wait of over five years, the Central government has fully operationalised the four labour codes by publishing rules, ensuring minimum wage and universal social security for all workers.

The four codes, namely 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, came into effect from November 21, 2025.

The four codes were introduced to modernise and consolidate 29 labour laws into a simplified and contemporary framework.

An official told PTI that the rules under the four codes are now notified in the official gazette of the government, and with this, the process of full implementation of the labour codes is complete. He explained that though the labour codes became law of the land on November 21, 2025, certain explanations were not provided owing to the absence of rules.

The draft rules were published on December 30, 2025, to seek feedback from stakeholders and were notified after legal vetting. The publishing of rules under the four codes was necessary to make the new laws fully operational.

The codification of 29 existing labour laws into the four labour codes was undertaken to address long-standing challenges and make the system more efficient and contemporary.

The codification aims to enhance ease of doing business, promote employment generation, ensure safety, health, and social & wage security for every worker.

Since labour is a concurrent subject, the appropriate governments, the Centre and States, are required to notify the rules under the four codes to enforce them 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 provisions of the labour codes include a mandatory appointment letter, free health check-ups for workers aged 40 years and above, and equal work, pay and opportunity for women working in different shifts.

The new legal framework also mandates the establishment of a National Reskilling Fund, which will be utilised for reskilling workers who lose their jobs. The rules also capped the weekly working hours at 48 hours.

“The number of hours of work which shall constitute a normal working day for an employee whose wage period is other than on a daily basis shall be so fixed that the total number of weekly working hours shall not exceed forty-eight hours,” according to the rules.

The rules also provide for at least one weekend off or rest day to workers and payment of overtime for working beyond working hours.