New Delhi, May 11 -- The Ministry of Labour & Employment has notified the Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026, bringing them into force with immediate effect from May 8, 2026.

It aims to operationalise key provisions of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 and overhaul India's industrial relations framework with a stronger focus on digitisation and compliance.

The new rules, which were issued after considering stakeholder feedback on the draft rules published in December 2025, replace relevant provisions of the Industrial Disputes (Central) Rules, 1957 and the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central Rules, 1946.

New Rules For Worker Representation

The framework introduces electronic filing, online submissions, and digita...