The ministry of labour and employment, Friday, notified the final Rules for the Code on Wages and the Industrial Relations Code till the press time, making them fully operational.
The four Codes, namely the Code on Wages, the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH & WC), were notified in November 2025 but certain provisions required the notification of final Rules to come into force.
Official sources said the final Rules for the Code on Social Security and the OSH & WC Code will also be notified soon.
With Friday's notification, the government has paved the way for the fixing of floor wages in India under the Code on Wages. This would be statutory in nature and would be periodically revised to factor in the cost of living.
Besides, it will also enable Centre to set up a reskilling fund for workers under the Industrial Relations Code along with the appointment of conciliation, certifying officer and appellate authority.
“The Central Rules will largely apply to establishments where the central government is the ‘appropriate government’ - such as telecom, banking and insurance, mines, oil fields, major ports, air transport, along with central public sector undertakings and their contractors,” Puneet Gupta, partner, people advisory services - tax, EY India.
However, these final Central Rules will also be the basis for states to finalise and implement state specific rules under the labour codes, he said.
The ministry has also notified the model standing orders for mines, manufacturing and services sector, classifying the category of workers and provisioning for their work hours and wages under the Code.
Gupta said the model standing orders will provide a baseline template on key matters such as classification of workers, communication of service conditions, leave and attendance norms, and disciplinary procedures.
“For organisations, these serve as a practical reference point to codify workplace rules more clearly and consistently, especially in the absence of customised standing orders,” he added.
Gupta, however, cautioned that the broader impact will depend on how closely state rules align with the central framework, since any divergence could lead to differing compliance approaches for organisations operating across multiple states.
The four Codes, namely the Code on Wages, the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH & WC), were notified in November 2025 but certain provisions required the notification of final Rules to come into force.
Official sources said the final Rules for the Code on Social Security and the OSH & WC Code will also be notified soon.
With Friday's notification, the government has paved the way for the fixing of floor wages in India under the Code on Wages. This would be statutory in nature and would be periodically revised to factor in the cost of living.
Besides, it will also enable Centre to set up a reskilling fund for workers under the Industrial Relations Code along with the appointment of conciliation, certifying officer and appellate authority.
“The Central Rules will largely apply to establishments where the central government is the ‘appropriate government’ - such as telecom, banking and insurance, mines, oil fields, major ports, air transport, along with central public sector undertakings and their contractors,” Puneet Gupta, partner, people advisory services - tax, EY India.
However, these final Central Rules will also be the basis for states to finalise and implement state specific rules under the labour codes, he said.
The ministry has also notified the model standing orders for mines, manufacturing and services sector, classifying the category of workers and provisioning for their work hours and wages under the Code.
Gupta said the model standing orders will provide a baseline template on key matters such as classification of workers, communication of service conditions, leave and attendance norms, and disciplinary procedures.
“For organisations, these serve as a practical reference point to codify workplace rules more clearly and consistently, especially in the absence of customised standing orders,” he added.
Gupta, however, cautioned that the broader impact will depend on how closely state rules align with the central framework, since any divergence could lead to differing compliance approaches for organisations operating across multiple states.
