Government of India Announces Implementation of Four Labour Codes

The Government of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment, through a press release dated 21^st November 2025, has announced the enforcement of the following four Labour Codes:

• Code on Wages, 2019

• Industrial Relations Code, 2020

• Code on Social Security, 2020

• Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020

These will come into effect from 21^st November 2025.

This announcement comes over five years after the parliament approved the Labour Codes in 2020. This initiative aims to consolidate and rationalise various Central Labour Laws, many of which originate from the pre-independence and early post-independence periods. Since labour is a concurrent subject, both the central and state governments are required to formulate rules, after which the aforementioned labour codes will be implemented on a state-by-state basis.

The ministry also clarified that the Government will actively involve the public and stakeholders in the development of the corresponding rules, regulations, schemes, etc., under the Codes. Throughout this process, the relevant provisions of the existing labour Acts, along with their respective rules, regulations, notifications, standards, schemes, etc., will remain in effect. Employers are permitted to adhere to the current labour laws until they are superseded by new Rules and Schemes established under the new Labour Codes.