Four labor codes are likely to be implemented by the financial year 2022-2023

Four labor codes on wages, social security, industrial relations, occupational safety, health and working conditions are likely to come into force by the next financial year FY-2022-23 , as at least 13 states have pre-published draft rules on it. Most of the draft notifications on wage codes have been pre-published by 24 states and union territories. A senior official said the Center has already finalized rules under these codes and now states need to frame their own rules, as labor is a concurrent subject.

A senior official said four labor codes are likely to come into force by the next financial year 2022-23, as a large number of states have finalized the draft rules on these. The Center has completed the process of finalizing the draft rules on these codes in February 2021, but as labor is a concurrent subject, the Center wants the states to implement it in one go.

13 states pre-published draft rules
Union Labor Minister Bhupendra Yadav, in a reply in Rajya Sabha earlier this week, said the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code is the only code on which at least 13 states have pre-published draft rules. . Most of the draft notifications on wage codes have been pre-published by 24 states and union territories. At the same time, the Industrial Relations Code (by 20 states) and the Social Security Code (18) are followed by the states.

State government also made rules

In his reply to the Upper House, the Minister explained that labor is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and rules need to be framed by the Central Government as well as the State Governments under the Labor Code. The central government and some states and union territories have pre-published rules under the four labor codes. He had said that the central government along with the rest of the state governments is trying to make rules under the four codes.

The Center and the states are required to notify rules under the four codes to make these laws applicable in the respective jurisdictions. The power to make rules under the Codes is delegated to the Central Government, the State Government and the appropriate Government and requires the publication of the Rules in their Official Gazette for a period of 30 or 45 days for public consultation.