On 21 November 2025, the four Labour Codes came into force and repealed 29 central acts — the largest consolidation of Indian labour law since independence. The Central Rules under all four followed on 8 May 2026. The codes and the rules made under them are now the whole of central labour law: the repealed acts are not in force anywhere, transitionally or otherwise.
Which rules govern an establishment turns on its “appropriate Government”. Where that is the Central Government — every union territory, and central-sector establishments such as railways, mines, major ports, banking and central public-sector undertakings — the Central Rules apply. Everywhere else the state’s own rules under the codes apply, and the state rules tracker shows whether a state has notified them yet. Where it has not, the code itself still applies, and the Central Rules are the reference framework EfCodes shows.
Consolidates the law on minimum wages, payment of wages, bonus and equal remuneration into one code — and, most consequentially, gives every one of the four codes a single statutory definition of “wages” that reshapes how PF, gratuity and other benefits are calculated.
Replaces 4 central acts · Read the guide →
Merges the law on trade unions, standing orders and industrial disputes. The headline changes are higher thresholds for state permission, nationwide recognition of fixed-term employment, and a single negotiating union framework.
Replaces 3 central acts · Read the guide →
Nine acts — PF, ESI, gratuity, maternity benefit, employees’ compensation and more — become one code, and for the first time gig and platform workers get a statutory route into social security.
Replaces 9 central acts · Read the guide →
The widest of the four: thirteen acts covering factories, contract labour, migrant workers, plantations, mines and more become one code with a single registration, higher applicability thresholds and new worker protections.
Replaces 13 central acts · Read the guide →
Four jurisdictions, three different answers. Dadra & Nagar Haveli / Daman & Diu is a union territory, so the Central Rules of 8 May 2026 govern there. Gujarat has notified final state rules under all four codes. Maharashtra and Karnataka published draft state rules in early 2026: the codes apply in full, and until those rules are final the Central Rules are the reference framework for day-to-day compliance.
| State / UT | Code on Wages | Industrial Relations Code | Code on Social Security | OSH & Working Conditions Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra | Draft published | Draft published | Draft published | Draft published |
| Gujarat | Final rules notified | Final rules notified | Final rules notified | Final rules notified |
| Karnataka | unsure | unsure | Draft published | Draft published |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Draft published | Draft published | Draft published | Draft published |
All 36 states and union territories →
Not everything was consolidated. The POSH Act, 2013 and the Child and Adolescent Labour Act, 1986 remain standalone, and state legislation — Shops & Establishments acts, Professional Tax, Labour Welfare Fund — is untouched by the central codes. An establishment’s full obligation set is therefore a mix of code duties and state-law duties, which is the problem this platform exists to keep straight.
Compiled from public sources on 19 August 2026 and pending review by our legal team. See each guide for its sources.
Informational only, not legal advice. State rules are moving quickly — verify the position for your state against the linked sources before acting.
