New Delhi, May 9: The Central government has completed the implementation of all four labour codes after notifying the corresponding rules in the official gazette, officially bringing India’s new labour law framework into full operation more than five years after the reforms were first introduced.
The four labour codes – 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 – had formally come into force on November 21, 2025. However, some provisions could not be fully operationalized earlier because the required rules under the codes had not yet been notified.
With the latest publication of rules in the gazette, the Centre has now completed the final procedural step needed for implementation of the new labour regime across the country.
The labour codes were introduced with the objective of simplifying India’s complex labour law structure by replacing and consolidating 29 separate labour laws into four comprehensive codes. The reforms are aimed at improving compliance, increasing transparency, strengthening worker welfare and making labour regulations easier for both employers and employees to understand.
According to officials, the government believes the simplified framework will help reduce legal complications and create a more streamlined system for industries while also expanding social security coverage for workers in both organised and unorganised sectors.
Earlier this month, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched a nationwide annual health check-up initiative for workers aged 40 years and above under the provisions of the new labour codes.
Under the initiative, free annual medical examinations will now be conducted for workers above 40 years of age across the country. Officials said the programme aims to improve occupational health standards and ensure early detection of health problems among workers.
Mandaviya said the implementation of the labour codes reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to ensuring dignity, welfare and social security for workers across India.
Highlighting some of the key reforms introduced under the new framework, the Labour Minister said the codes ensure equal wages for men and women workers and strengthen provisions related to workplace equality. He also pointed out that maternity leave benefits for women employees have been increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
The minister added that the labour codes also include work-from-home provisions for women employees, a move seen as an effort to adapt labour policies to changing workplace practices after the Covid-19 pandemic and the expansion of digital work environments.
Another major provision under the reforms is the proposal for establishing a National Reskilling Fund. The fund is intended to support workers who lose employment by providing opportunities for fresh training and skill development to help them secure new jobs.
The Centre has maintained that the labour reforms are designed to modernise India’s labour ecosystem while balancing industrial growth with worker protection. Government officials say the implementation of the four labour codes marks one of the most significant labour sector reforms undertaken in recent years.
