Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Labour, Factories, Boilers and Insurance Medical Services (Lab.II) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, on the recommendation of the Commissioner of Labour, Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada
- Notified
- G.O.Rt.No.41, dated 13 February 2026
- Objection window
- 30 days from the date the Andhra Pradesh Gazette copies are made available to the public (objections closed around 15 March 2026). Objections and suggestions could be sent through the State Labour Department web portal (https://labour.ap.gov.in/) or by e-mail to aplabourcodes2026@gmail.com
- Legal basis
- Sub-section (1) of Section 99 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act 35 of 2020)
- Supersedes
- Draft Industrial Relations (Andhra Pradesh) Rules, 2022 (G.O.Rt.No.203, dated 13 June 2022); and, subject to a savings clause for past actions, the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Disputes Rules, 1958, the Andhra Pradesh Trade Unions Regulations, 1927, and the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1953
- Status as of July 2026
- Preliminary/draft notification stage. The 30-day objection period closed in mid-March 2026. As of this writing, the final gazette notification confirming these rules had not been separately verified — employers should check the latest position on the AP Labour Department portal or with Praans Consultech before relying on any single provision for a live compliance decision.
Andhra Pradesh has released the draft rules that will operationalise the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 in the state. These rules are called the Industrial Relations (Andhra Pradesh) Rules, 2026, and they were notified through G.O.Rt.No.41 dated 13 February 2026 by the Labour, Factories, Boilers and Insurance Medical Services (Lab.II) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Every employer, HR manager, trade union office bearer and compliance professional operating in Andhra Pradesh needs to understand these rules. They replace three old state-level frameworks with one modern rulebook that supports electronic filing, a designated web portal, and simplified procedures for standing orders, strikes, lock-outs, retrenchment, closure and dispute resolution.
Forms under the State Rules
Download
Application before the Industrial Tribunal for adjudication of a dispute
Download
Application before the Industrial Tribunal for adjudication of a dispute
Download
Register of Certified Standing Orders
Download
Notice of Change in service conditions proposed by an employer
Download
Agreement for Voluntary Arbitration
Download
Authorisation by a worker, group of workers, employer or group of employers to represent in a proceeding
Download
Application for recovery of money due under Section 59(1)
Download
Application by a person authorised by the worker, or by the assignee/heir of a deceased worker, under Section 59(1)
Download
Application for determination of amount due under Section 59(2)
Download
Application by the assignee or heir of a deceased worker under Section 59(2)
Download
Notice of Strike
Download
Notice of Lock-out
Download
Notice of intimation of Retrenchment/Closure to the State Government
Download
Application for permission of Lay-off / continuation of Lay-off / Retrenchment / Closure
Download
Notice for compounding of an offence under Section 89 (three parts)
Download
Complaint under Section 91 (change in conditions of service during pendency of proceedings)
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Objections to the draft Rules | One-time, per notification | Within 30 days of gazette publication (around 15 March 2026) | |
| Filing of application before Grievance Redressal Committee | Per grievance | Within 1 year from the date the cause of action arose | |
| Appeal to Conciliation Officer against GRC decision | Per grievance | Within 60 days from the GRC decision, or from expiry of the 30-day period under Section 4(6) of the Code | |
| Conciliation Officer's report where no settlement is reached | Per case | Within 7 days of conclusion of conciliation proceedings | |
| Standing orders: draft submission by employer | One-time on applicability | Within 6 months from the date Chapter IV becomes applicable to the establishment | |
| Certifying Officer's observation on adopted Model Standing Orders | Form III | Per adoption | Within 30 days of receiving intimation; deemed certified if no observation is raised |
| Authentication and circulation of certified standing orders | Per certification | Within 7 days of authentication | |
| Appeal against Certifying Officer's order | Per order | Within 60 days of receipt of the order | |
| Communication of appellate order to parties | Per appeal | Within 3 days of disposal of the appeal | |
| Notice of retrenchment to Government (notice served on worker) | Form XIII | Per retrenchment | Within 3 days from the date notice is served on the worker |
| Notice of retrenchment (wages paid in lieu of notice) | Form XIII | Per retrenchment | Within 3 days from the date wages are paid |
| Notice of retrenchment under an agreement | Form XIII | Per retrenchment | At least 1 month before the agreed termination date (or within 3 days of the agreement if that date falls within 30 days) |
| Display of retrenchment seniority list before retrenchment | Per retrenchment round | At least 7 days before the actual date of retrenchment | |
| Display of vacancy notice for re-employment of retrenched workers | Per vacancy | At least 15 days before the vacancy is filled |
Key Provisions
What changed under the Code, and what it means for payroll.
💡Key Provisions21 tracked
Memorandum of SettlementRule 4
A settlement reached in conciliation, or directly between employer and workers, must be recorded in Form I, signed by both sides, and copied to the Deputy Commissioner of Labour.
Works CommitteeRule 5
Every notified establishment must set up a Works Committee of up to 20 members with proportionate worker representation, elected or nominated through a defined process, meeting at least once every three months.
Grievance Redressal CommitteeRule 6
Establishments with 20 or more workers must form a Grievance Redressal Committee with equal employer and worker representation, capped at 10 members, with women's representation where applicable.
Grievance filing and escalationRule 7 & 8
A worker's grievance goes first to the Grievance Redressal Committee; if unresolved within the statutory period, it can be escalated to the Conciliation Officer through the worker's Trade Union.
Recognition of negotiating union/councilRule 9
A single registered Trade Union with at least 30 percent membership of the establishment's workforce is recognised as the sole negotiating union; where none qualifies, a negotiating council is formed with proportionate representation.
Membership verificationRule 9(3)
The Commissioner of Labour appoints an independent Verification Officer to verify Trade Union membership; the process must begin three months before the existing recognition period expires.
Model Standing OrdersRule 12
Model Standing Orders for the manufacturing sector (Schedule-A) and service sector (Schedule-B) are annexed to the Rules; adoption is by intimation to the Certifying Officer, with deemed certification if no objection is raised in 30 days.
Appeal on standing ordersRule 17 & 18
Any aggrieved party can appeal a Certifying Officer's order within 60 days; the appellate authority's decision must be communicated within 3 days of disposal, and certified standing orders must be maintained and displayed in English and Telugu.
Notice of ChangeRule 21
An employer proposing to change any condition of service listed in the Third Schedule to the Code must serve Form IV on affected workers and display it, with a copy to the concerned Trade Union.
Voluntary ArbitrationRules 22 to 24
Employers and workers can voluntarily refer a dispute to arbitration using Form V; where there is no Trade Union, worker representatives are chosen by resolution in Form VI.
Conciliation proceedingsRule 25
Conciliation Officers must register strike/lock-out notices, disputes and apprehended disputes on the designated portal, attempt an amicable settlement, and submit a report within 7 days if no settlement is reached.
Recovery of duesRule 26
Workers can apply in Forms VII to X to recover money due from an employer under a settlement, award, or the Code; the Tribunal must decide such applications within 3 months.
Strike and lock-out noticesRules 27 & 28
A strike notice (Form XI) must be signed by the Trade Union Secretary or five elected worker representatives; a lock-out notice (Form XII) must be served by the employer on every registered Trade Union, with copies to the Conciliation Officer and Commissioner of Labour.
Retrenchment and closure noticesRules 29 to 31
Employers must notify the State Government and Deputy Commissioner of Labour of retrenchment or closure in Form XIII within defined timelines, and follow last-in-first-out and re-employment preference rules for retrenched workers.
Special provisions for larger establishmentsRules 32 to 38
Establishments covered by Chapter X of the Code (broadly, 300 or more workers) must obtain the State Government's prior permission before lay-off, retrenchment or closure, using Form XIV, with a defined review mechanism.
Worker Re-skilling FundRule 39
Employers must transfer an amount equal to 15 days' last-drawn wages of every retrenched worker into a designated government account within 10 days of retrenchment; the amount is passed on to the worker within 45 days for re-skilling.
Compounding of offencesRule 40
A Gazetted Compounding Officer can offer compounding through a three-part Form XV notice; the accused must respond and deposit the compounding amount within 15 days.
Protected workersRule 41
Registered Trade Unions must notify the employer of proposed protected workers every year before 30th April; the employer recognises them within 15 days, subject to the statutory cap under Section 90 of the Code.
Complaints under Section 91Rule 42
An aggrieved employee whose service conditions were changed during pendency of a proceeding can file Form XVI before the Conciliation Officer, Arbitrator, Tribunal or National Industrial Tribunal.
Electronic communication and record-keepingRules 48 & 49
All authorities, employers, Trade Unions and negotiating bodies must maintain and publish an e-mail ID, website or portal; records, registers and forms must also be maintained electronically.
Continuity for Trade Union RegulationsRule 53
The Andhra Pradesh Trade Unions Regulations, 1927, made under the now-repealed Trade Unions Act, 1926, are adopted afresh as an Appendix to these Rules so that trade union registration procedures continue without a gap.
Old Law vs. New Law
What employers followed before, against what applies now — point matched against point.
| On this point | Before — earlier law | Now — the new Code |
|---|---|---|
| Governing framework | Three separate state frameworks: the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Disputes Rules, 1958; the Andhra Pradesh Trade Unions Regulations, 1927; and the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1953 — each linked to a separate central Act | One consolidated framework: the Industrial Relations (Andhra Pradesh) Rules, 2026, made under the single Industrial Relations Code, 2020 |
| Threshold for Standing Orders | 100 or more workers, under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 | 300 or more workers, under Section 28 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 |
| Threshold for prior permission before lay-off, retrenchment or closure | 100 or more workers, under Chapter V-B of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 | 300 or more workers, under Section 77 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (states may notify a higher number) |
| Sole negotiating union recognition | No single statutory recognition test in the old Andhra Pradesh framework; recognition largely followed voluntary or administrative practice | Statutory test under Rule 9: a single registered Trade Union needs at least 30 percent membership to be recognised as sole negotiating union, with an independent Verification Officer |
| Grievance redressal | No uniform, rule-mandated Grievance Redressal Committee structure across establishments | Mandatory Grievance Redressal Committee in every establishment with 20 or more workers, with equal employer and worker representation (Rule 6) |
| Filing of notices, applications and settlements | Primarily physical: registered post, speed post, or in-person filing | Electronic filing through a designated State Labour Department portal is the primary channel, alongside registered post, speed post or in-person filing (Rules across the document) |
| Support for retrenched workers | Retrenchment compensation only, with no dedicated re-skilling mechanism | Retrenchment compensation continues, plus a new Worker Re-skilling Fund funded by 15 days' wages per retrenched worker (Rule 39) |
| Language of standing orders | Primarily English, with no uniform Telugu requirement across old rules | Standing orders must be maintained and displayed in both English and Telugu (Rule 18(2)) |
| Compounding of offences | Compounding provisions existed under the respective central Acts but without a standard state-level three-part notice process | Standardised three-part Form XV notice process supervised by a designated Compounding Officer (Rule 40) |
| Trade Union registration | Governed directly by the Andhra Pradesh Trade Unions Regulations, 1927, under the Trade Unions Act, 1926 | The 1927 Regulations are re-adopted as an Appendix to the 2026 Rules (Rule 53) under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, preserving continuity of forms and procedure |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- All industrial establishments in Andhra Pradesh to which the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 applies
- Works Committee — every establishment covered by a State Government order under Section 3(1) of the Code
- Grievance Redressal Committee — establishments employing 20 or more workers
- Standing Orders (Chapter IV) — establishments employing 300 or more workers on any day in the preceding 12 months
- Chapter X special provisions (prior permission before lay-off, retrenchment, closure) — establishments with 300 or more workers
- Worker Re-skilling Fund — applies wherever a worker is retrenched under the Code
- Protected workers recognition — establishments with one or more registered Trade Unions, subject to the Section 90 cap
- Objections and suggestions on the draft Rules — open to any person or organisation likely to be affected, across Andhra Pradesh
Exempted / special treatment
- Establishments/workers governed by the Fundamental and Supplementary Rules, Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, Civil Services (Temporary Service) Rules, Revised Leave Rules, Civil Service Regulations, or the Indian Railway Establishment Code — Chapter X special provisions on lay-off, retrenchment and closure do not extend to these
- Establishments not covered by such a State Government order
- Establishments employing fewer than 20 workers
- Establishments employing fewer than 300 workers (may still voluntarily adopt the Model Standing Orders)
- Seasonal establishments and establishments where work is performed only intermittently; smaller establishments instead follow the general Chapter IX provisions of the Code
- Seasonal establishments and establishments where work is performed only intermittently; smaller establishments instead follow the general Chapter IX provisions of the Code
- Not applicable to lay-off, or to a termination that does not legally qualify as retrenchment under the Code's definition
- Establishments with no registered Trade Union
- Not applicable once the objection window has closed and rules are finally notified
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
What are the Industrial Relations (Andhra Pradesh) Rules, 2026?
They are the state-level rules that operationalise the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 in Andhra Pradesh. They cover Works Committees, Grievance Redressal Committees, Trade Union recognition, standing orders, notice of change, arbitration, conciliation, strikes, lock-outs, lay-off, retrenchment, closure, the Worker Re-skilling Fund, and compounding of offences.
When were these Rules notified?
They were notified as a Preliminary Notification through G.O.Rt.No.41, dated 13 February 2026, by the Labour, Factories, Boilers and Insurance Medical Services (Lab.II) Department.
Are these Rules final or still in draft form?
They were issued as a draft, open for objections and suggestions for 30 days from the date of gazette publication. Employers should check the current status on the Andhra Pradesh Labour Department portal before treating any single provision as final.
Which older laws do these Rules replace?
They supersede the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Disputes Rules, 1958, the Andhra Pradesh Trade Unions Regulations, 1927, and the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1953, subject to a savings clause for actions already taken under those rules.
Where can objections and suggestions on the draft Rules be sent?
To the Commissioner of Labour, Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada, through the State Labour Department web portal at https://labour.ap.gov.in/, or by e-mail to aplabourcodes2026@gmail.com.
What is a Works Committee and who needs one?
A Works Committee is a joint employer-worker body that discusses matters of common interest. Every establishment covered by a State Government order under Section 3(1) of the Code must constitute one, with up to 20 members and proportionate worker representation.
What is a Grievance Redressal Committee?
It is a joint committee that resolves individual worker grievances. Establishments with 20 or more workers must set one up, with equal representation of employer and worker nominees, capped at 10 members.
How long does a worker have to raise a grievance?
A worker must file the grievance application within 1 year from the date the cause of action arose, under Rule 7(3).
What happens if the Grievance Redressal Committee does not resolve a grievance?
The worker can escalate the matter to the Conciliation Officer through their Trade Union within 60 days of the Committee's decision, or from the date the statutory 30-day resolution period expires.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → ● G.O.Rt.No.41, Labour, Factories, Boilers and Insurance Medical Services (Lab.II) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, dated 13 February 2026 — Preliminary Notification of the Industrial Relations (Andhra Pradesh) Rules, 2026
- → ● The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act 35 of 2020), Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 1, No. 60, dated 29 September 2020 — available at indiacode.nic.in
For informational purposes only — not legal advice. State rules referenced here are subject to change on final notification. Verify current status with our compliance team before acting.