Industrial Relations (A & N Islands) Rules 2026

They are draft procedural rules that the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has pre published to carry out the Industrial Relations Code 2020 locally. They cover Works Committees, Grievance Redressal Committees, Trade Unions, Standing Orders, strikes, lock outs, and lay off, retrenchment and closure procedure.

No. As of August 2026 they remain a draft. The Rules themselves state they will come into force only on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette, and no final notification has been traced yet.

They repeal the A & N Islands Trade Union Regulations 1957, and they also pre publish afresh an earlier draft version from 2024, since the Industrial Relations Code 2020 has since actually commenced.

Objections and suggestions were invited within 45 days of the 16 February 2026 publication, which works out to around 2 April 2026. Employers can still check with the Labour Commissioner's office for the latest status.

Only if the A & N Administration specifically orders an establishment to do so under Section 3 of the Code. Once ordered, the employer must constitute the Committee without delay, following the composition rules in Rule 4.

It is a joint employer worker body that resolves individual worker complaints before they escalate. Any establishment employing 20 or more workers must have one, with equal representation from the employer and the workers, capped at 10 members.

The union applies in Form IV to the Registrar of Trade Unions, along with a Rs 200 fee and the documents listed in Rule 10. The Registrar must decide within 45 days, and if no decision is communicated within that time, the registration is deemed to have been granted.

Under Rule 14, if only one registered Trade Union exists in an establishment and it has 30 percent or more of the workers as members, that union is automatically entitled to negotiate with the employer as the sole negotiating union.

The employer acts as the Verification Officer and, together with participating unions, chooses one of three methods set out in Rule 15: checking membership records and subscription receipts, verifying through the salary check off system, or holding a secret ballot.

Under Rule 33, the employer must give advance notice in Form XIX for any change covered by the Third Schedule to the Code, display it on the notice board, and send a copy to any registered Trade Union in the establishment.

The employer must issue Form XXVII to every registered Trade Union before the lock out takes effect, and must send copies to the Conciliation Officer, the Labour Commissioner and the Secretary (Labour) within 5 days.

It is a fund meant to help retrenched workers pick up new skills. Under Rule 52, the employer must transfer an amount equal to 15 days of the retrenched worker's last drawn wages into the designated account within 10 days of the retrenchment.

It depends on the size of the establishment. Larger establishments covered by Chapter X of the Code need prior permission from the A & N Administration before closing down, while smaller establishments only need to give advance notice under Chapter IX.

Under Section 86(10) of the Code, failing to submit draft Standing Orders, or modifying them without following the prescribed process, attracts a fine of Rs 50,000 up to Rs 2 lakh, with an additional daily fine for a continuing default.

Many offences are compoundable. Under Rule 53, a Gazetted Compounding Officer can accept a compounding amount from the accused employer, close the matter, and avoid a full prosecution, provided the payment is made within the time allowed.