Four Labour Codes (Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, OSH)

Applies to

All establishments employing workers in India, with thresholds and exemptions per Code. Code on Wages 2019 has the broadest applicability; OSH Code applies to factories, mines, plantations and dock workers; Industrial Relations Code applies to industrial establishments; Social Security Code applies to a wider establishment universe including aggregators.

Key points

• Code on Wages 2019: national floor wage; single statutory 'wages' definition (allowances capped at 50%).
• IR Code 2020: standing-orders / retrenchment-permission threshold raised from 100 to 300 workers; fixed-term employment recognised.
• Social Security Code 2020: gig + platform workers covered; aggregators contribute to a welfare fund.
• OSH Code 2020: subsumes Factories, Mines, Plantations, Contract Labour, Beedi, BOCW, Dock Workers, Inter-State Migrant Workmen and other Acts (13 in total).
• Commencement: all four Codes in force from 21 Nov 2025; Central Rules notified 8 May 2026; state rules being notified.

Applicability triggers

• Establishment with ≥1 worker (Wages Code)
• Industrial establishment with ≥300 workers (IR Code retrenchment)
• Aggregator using gig/platform workers (Social Security Code)
• Factory / mine / dock / construction / plantation (OSH Code)

Practitioner questions

• What proportion of CTC will the new statutory wages definition reclassify into 'wages' for PF/gratuity?
• Has my state notified IR Code rules — and does the 300-worker retrenchment threshold apply?
• Are my gig workers covered under the Social Security Code aggregator-cess regime?

Sources

• Code on Wages 2019 (India Code)
• Industrial Relations Code 2020 (India Code)
• Code on Social Security 2020 (India Code)
• OSH Code 2020 (India Code)