The Central Government has said that it expects every State and Union Territory to publish its rules under the four Labour Codes by 31 October 2026, which is now only three days away. For employers in Punjab, Haryana and the National Capital Region, the date marks the point at which the long transition from the old labour statutes to the new framework is meant to be substantially complete, and it is therefore the most closely watched development in labour law this week.
Where the Labour Codes stand
The four Codes, namely the Code on Wages, the Industrial Relations Code, the Code on Social Security and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, replaced twenty-nine central labour laws and came into force in November 2025. The Centre notified its rules under the Codes in May 2026. Because labour is a subject on the Concurrent List, however, the day-to-day working of the Codes depends equally on the rules framed by each State. Speaking at a seminar organised by PHDCCI and Grant Thornton Bharat on 24 September 2026, the Labour Secretary stated that ten States had by then published their rules, while the remaining States and Union Territories had issued draft rules for consultation, and that the Centre hoped all of them would be in place by 31 October.
