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Chheda ConsultantsChheda ConsultantsSince 1972 · Labour law & payroll

In force since 21 November 2025

Acts & government FAQs

The Labour Codes

On 21 November 2025, 29 central labour laws were folded into four codes: wages, social security, industrial relations, and safety and working conditions. Read each code chapter by chapter, search the government's own answers, and see what changed for your company.

Search the codes and the government FAQs

29central
laws4labour
codes
  • Code on Wages4 laws
  • Social Security Code9 laws
  • Industrial Relations Code3 laws
  • OSH Code13 laws
sections
480
chapters
51
govt. FAQs
127

287 pages of Gazette text in all.

The four codes

Read each code, chapter by chapter.

The official text of every code, split into chapters you can read on a phone, with the government PDF one tap away. Pick the code that matches your question.

No. 29 of 2019Assented 8 August 2019

The Code on Wages, 2019

Minimum wages, the floor wage, timely payment of wages, deductions, bonus and equal pay.

For your company

One definition of “wages” for everyone, and wages on time — monthly pay by the 7th.

sections
69
chapters
9
Acts replaced
4
The 4 Acts it replaced
  • Payment of Wages Act, 1936
  • Minimum Wages Act, 1948
  • Payment of Bonus Act, 1965
  • Equal Remuneration Act, 1976

Chapters

  1. IPreliminary
  2. IIMinimum Wages
  3. IIIPayment of Wages
  4. IVPayment of Bonus
  5. VAdvisory Board
All 9 chapters
Read the code: Code on Wages Official PDFof the Code on Wages (opens in a new tab)
No. 36 of 2020Assented 28 September 2020

The Code on Social Security, 2020

Provident fund, ESI, gratuity, maternity benefit, employee's compensation, and gig and platform workers.

For your company

PF, ESI and gratuity now live in one code — with gratuity for fixed-term staff after one year.

sections
164
chapters
14
Acts replaced
9
The 9 Acts it replaced
  • Employees' Compensation Act, 1923
  • Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948
  • Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952
  • Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959
  • Maternity Benefit Act, 1961
  • Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972
  • Cine-Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981
  • Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Cess Act, 1996
  • Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008

Chapters

  1. IPreliminary
  2. IISocial Security Organisations
  3. IIIEmployees' Provident Fund
  4. IVEmployees' State Insurance Corporation
  5. VGratuity
All 14 chapters
Read the code: Social Security Code Official PDFof the Social Security Code (opens in a new tab)
No. 35 of 2020Assented 28 September 2020

The Industrial Relations Code, 2020

Trade unions, standing orders, disputes, strikes and lock-outs, lay-off, retrenchment and closure.

For your company

Standing orders from 300 workers, fixed-term employment, and a re-skilling fund on retrenchment.

sections
104
chapters
14
Acts replaced
3
The 3 Acts it replaced
  • Trade Unions Act, 1926
  • Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946
  • Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

Chapters

  1. IPreliminary
  2. IIBi-Partite Forums
  3. IIITrade Unions
  4. IVStanding Orders
  5. VNotice of Change
All 14 chapters
Read the code: Industrial Relations Code Official PDFof the Industrial Relations Code (opens in a new tab)
No. 37 of 2020Assented 28 September 2020

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020

Registration, safety and health, working hours and leave, women at work, contract labour and migrant workers.

For your company

One registration, one licence, annual health check-ups, and contract-labour rules from 50 workers.

sections
143
chapters
14
Acts replaced
13
The 13 Acts it replaced
  • Factories Act, 1948
  • Plantations Labour Act, 1951
  • Mines Act, 1952
  • Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955
  • Working Journalists (Fixation of Rates of Wages) Act, 1958
  • Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961
  • Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966
  • Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970
  • Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976
  • Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979
  • Cine-Workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1981
  • Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986
  • Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996

Chapters

  1. IPreliminary
  2. IIRegistration
  3. IIIDuties of Employer and Employees
  4. IVOccupational Safety and Health
  5. VHealth, Safety and Working Conditions
All 14 chapters
Read the code: OSH Code Official PDFof the OSH Code (opens in a new tab)

What changed

What changed for employers

Code on Wages · §2One definition of wagesA single meaning of “wages”; excluded allowances above half of total pay are added back.Read section 2 Code on Wages · §17Wages paid on timeMonthly wages by the 7th of the next month; wages due on exit within two working days.Read section 17 Social Security Code · §53Gratuity for fixed-term staffWhen a fixed-term contract ends, gratuity is payable without the usual five years of service.Read section 53 OSH Code · §3One registration under the OSH CodeNew establishments register online within 60 days; existing registrations carry over once details are filed.Read section 3 OSH Code · §45Contract labour from 50 workersThe contract labour chapter applies where 50 or more contract workers are engaged.Read section 45 Industrial Relations Code · §28Standing orders from 300 workersThe standing orders chapter applies to industrial establishments with 300 or more workers.Read section 28

A short summary, not legal advice. The linked section of the code is the authority.

Government FAQs

The Ministry's own answers, searchable.

Since the codes came into force, the Ministry of Labour & Employment has published question-and-answer documents on wages, gratuity, fixed-term employment, working hours and more. We reproduce every answer word for word, each linked to its page in the official PDF.

  • Wages 27
  • Social Security 42
  • Industrial Relations 20
  • OSH 37
  • General 1
Browse all 127 answers

From 7 documents published by the Ministry of Labour & Employment.

Questions the Ministry has answered

Need it applied to your company?

Our Labour Codes transition service

The four Labour Codes replaced 29 central labour laws on 21 November 2025. We work out what changes for your business, restructure wages for the new definition, and update your policies, contracts and registers in an orderly way.

See the transition plan WhatsApp us
  • Impact analysisWe map which parts of the four Codes and the state rules apply to you, and list what must change, in order of priority.
  • Wage restructuring for the 50% ruleWe review each salary structure against the new definition of wages and propose changes that keep you compliant and your costs predictable.
  • Cost impact, grade by gradeWe show what the new wage base does to PF, ESI, gratuity and bonus for each grade, before you decide.
  • Appointment letters and contractsAppointment letters for every employee, as the OSH Code requires, and fixed-term contracts drafted to match the Codes.
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