The Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed by both Houses of Parliament on February 12, 2026 — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passing it on the same day. This landmark legislation effectively repeals three historic labour laws: the Trade Unions Act of 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act of 1946, and the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947. These laws had governed industrial relations in India for decades, with some provisions nearly a century old.
The amendment is the culmination of India's long-standing effort to consolidate 44 central labour laws into just 4 codes — a process initiated after the Second National Commission on Labour (2002). The four codes are: the Code on Wages (2019), the Industrial Relations Code (2020), the Code on Social Security (2020), and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020).
Key new provisions include: mandatory annual health check-ups for all workers aged 40 and above; guaranteed equal pay for women performing the same work as men; and a legal requirement for employers to issue formal appointment letters to all workers. These measures aim to improve worker welfare and formalise employment relationships across industries.
The amendment also strengthens dispute resolution mechanisms, redefines the scope of 'industry' and 'worker', and updates provisions on strikes, lockouts, and layoffs to reflect modern industrial realities. Labour experts view this as a significant step toward simplifying India's complex labour law landscape while safeguarding worker rights.