Labour codes: Centre wants every state's rules in place by 31 October

The Union government wants every state and Union Territory to have rules under the four labour codes in place by 31 October 2026. Labour Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar said on 24 September that ten states had published final rules and the rest had put out drafts for consultation, Business Standard reported.

we are hoping we will have the rules at the state level by October 31.

Kumar called state rule-making “a major, major exercise”, because state governments are the appropriate government in most cases.

Why state rules matter

The four codes, the Code on Wages, the Industrial Relations Code, the Code on Social Security and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, replaced 29 central labour laws. They came into force on 21 November 2025. The Centre notified its own rules under all four on 8 May 2026, along with Model Standing Orders, according to the law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas.

Labour is on the concurrent list, so both Parliament and state legislatures can make laws on it. With states as the appropriate government in most cases, many of the codes’ procedures and conditions depend on what each state notifies.

Where the states stand

Neither the Labour Ministry nor Business Standard has named the ten states with final rules. Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar are reported to have final rules under all four codes by both The Tribune, in July, and the Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas employment law newsletter for October 2026.

The Tribune reported in July that Kerala had sought more time to study the codes and that West Bengal had not published draft rules. LokVox could not confirm whether either state has moved since.

Labour codes in numbers

• 29central labour laws replaced by four codes
• 10states with final rules, per the Labour Secretary on 24 Sep 2026
• 1,436 to 351cut in the number of rules, per a Grant Thornton Bharat report
• 31 Oct 2026date by which the Centre hopes all states will have rules

Same codes, different rules

Rules notified so far differ from state to state. Several state social security rules make a fixed-term employee eligible for gratuity after at least one year of service, but Gujarat’s rules require five years, the Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas newsletter says. Some states that allow women to work night shifts set different conditions: Bihar requires at least two women on duty and Uttar Pradesh at least four.

The Grant Thornton Bharat report launched at the same seminar also flagged unresolved questions. These include the rule on paying wages within two working days after a worker leaves, and the lack of definitions for managerial, administrative and supervisory roles, Business Standard reported.

Labour codes: from law to rules

1. 21 Nov 2025The four labour codes come into force, replacing 29 central laws
2. 8 May 2026Centre notifies rules under all four codes and Model Standing Orders
3. 10 Jul 2026The Tribune reports four states with final rules under all four codes; Kerala seeks more time
4. 24 Sep 2026Labour Secretary says ten states have final rules, sets 31 October target
5. 31 Oct 2026Centre's target for rules in every state and Union Territory

A data platform for workers

Kumar also said the ministry is building a “Labour Stack” to bring worker databases and welfare schemes onto one platform so that they can “talk to each other”. He said a pilot was expected within 15 days, followed by testing in at least one state or Union Territory before a wider rollout. Its focus is unorganised, gig and platform workers covered by the Code on Social Security.

Twenty days remain before the Centre’s target date.