The rules under the Labor Relations Code will be finalized by the end of February, the Center told the Delhi High Court on Monday during the hearing of a petition to implement the labor law by 2020.
The Industrial Relations Code 2020 unifies all laws relating to trade unions, conditions of employment in an industrial undertaking and the settlement of industrial disputes.
According to a PTI report, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma informed a bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tejas Karia that the public’s suggestions have been taken into consideration and framing of rules is under consideration.
Proponents flag loopholes in the rules
Meanwhile, the petitioners, NA Sebastian and Sunil Kumar, pointed out that though the central government had published a gazette notification on November 21, 2025 announcing the Industrial Relations Code 2020, it is yet to frame the rules for implementing the new regime or create courts under it.
On Monday, Solicitor General Mehta said the Center has already issued two separate notifications to fix existing loopholes in the new labor code and ease the transition.
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He further explained that the old labor laws have been repealed from November 21, 2025, but the existing courts established under the former labor laws will continue to function until these statutory bodies are established under the new code.
The court concluded the proceedings observing that the concerns of the petitioners have been addressed, a PTI report said.
The High Court responds to petitioners’ concerns
However, the court did not close the door on the concerns, clarifying that if there were any “hints” in the implementation of the new labor code after the adoption of the new rules, the petitioner could invoke them through a new motion at that stage.
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The petitioners argued that without the rules, there would be a legal vacuum and the authorities under the earlier laws would not be able to function. However, the court called such fears unfounded.
The petitioners argued that the code allows all pending cases to be transferred to courts that do not yet exist. They also alleged that the entire functioning of industrial tribunals and labor courts in Delhi has come to a standstill and is marked by widespread confusion, the agency said.
Key things to know about the new labor laws
In November, the government issued new codes that merged 29 laws into four labor codes to promote ease of doing business while protecting workers’ rights.
These include the Wage Code, the Labor Relations Code, the Social Security Code and the Occupational Safety Code. These codes include provisions such as equality for women in the workplace, gratuity for fixed-term employees after one year, free annual health check-ups and double overtime pay.
Several key provisions have been introduced under the latest labor codes that are likely to affect more than 400 million workers in both the formal and informal sectors.
