By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: The government has completed the implementation of the new labour codes by issuing final rules for all four codes, about four months after the draft rules were released following their rollout in November 2025.
The updated framework introduces several major changes.
These include a national floor wage to be determined by the Centre in coordination with an advisory panel and state governments, a fixed eight-hour work schedule with a weekly limit of 48 hours, compulsory issuance of wage slips, and a dedicated social security mechanism for workers in the informal and gig economy sectors.
States will be required to adjust their systems in line with these provisions.
In a significant departure from the draft version, the final Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2025 does not include the earlier formula used to calculate minimum wages. Instead, the government has stated that the method for wage calculation will be notified separately through an official order.
Experts caution that this revision could suppress wage levels and increase variation in pay across states for similar job roles.
The earlier draft had based minimum wage calculations on essential living standards such as a daily intake requirement of 2,700 calories per consumption unit, yearly clothing needs, housing expenses, and additional provisions for fuel, education, healthcare, and contingency costs.
This framework drew from the Supreme Court’s 1991 Reptakos Brett judgment as well as recommendations made by the 15th Indian Labour Conference in 1957.
Labour economist and former XLRI professor K R Shyam Sundar observed that removing the structured formula may weaken the wage-setting system and create uneven standards between states.
He added that without a scientific benchmark, pay differences are likely to widen even among identical categories of workers, including unskilled labourers who previously received more consistent wages across regions.
The rules also confirm that the Centre will establish a floor wage based on basic living requirements such as food, housing, clothing, and other essential needs. Under the Code on Wages, 2019, the government retains the authority to set different floor wages for different geographic areas.
This threshold will act as a minimum limit below which states cannot fix wages, a provision that has gained attention amid recent labour protests in several industrial zones.
Working hours have been defined such that employees on daily wages will have an eight-hour working day. For other categories, weekly working time must be structured so that it does not exceed 48 hours in total. Rest breaks will be regulated separately under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
Officials have indicated that this structure could offer more flexibility in work arrangements, particularly in sectors using hybrid or remote models.
Under the Social Security (Central) Rules, 2025, registration of all unorganised workers above the age of 16 through Aadhaar has been made compulsory.
Aggregators employing gig and platform workers must register them immediately on a central online portal and also update their exit details once their engagement ends.
A National Social Security Board dedicated to gig and platform workers will be constituted, bringing together representatives from Parliament, workers’ and employers’ organisations, state governments, and members from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, women, and minority communities.
Separately, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 allow contractors operating in multiple states or across the country to obtain a single electronic licence. Applications under this system must be approved or rejected within 45 days.
For women working night shifts between 7 PM and 6 AM under the OSH Code, written consent from the employee is mandatory.
Employers must also ensure safe working conditions, adequate lighting, and transportation facilities for pick-up and drop-off from the employee’s residence.