Notification Record & Forms

Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.

Issuing authority
Government of Chhattisgarh, Labour Department (Notice No. RULE-503/4/2026-LABOUR)
Notified
Draft notified 10 April 2026; published in the Chhattisgarh Gazette on 13 April 2026 (final notification pending)
Objection window
30 days from the date the gazette copies were made available to the public — closing on or about 13 May 2026
Legal basis
Section 99(1), Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (No. 35 of 2020), read with the Code's commencement notification S.O. 5320(E) dated 21 November 2025
Supersedes
Chhattisgarh Industrial Disputes Rules, 1957; Chhattisgarh Trade Unions Regulations, 1961; Chhattisgarh Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1963
Status as of
20 July 2026 — still a draft; no final Chhattisgarh notification traced yet (the parallel Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026 were finalised on 8 May 2026)

The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 came into force across India on 21 November 2025, replacing the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Trade Unions Act, 1926 and the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 at the central level. Because labour falls under the Concurrent List, each state must separately notify its own procedural rules under Section 99 of the Code for establishments where the state government is the "appropriate Government." The Industrial Relations (Chhattisgarh) Rules, 2026 is Chhattisgarh's draft version of that procedural rulebook. It covers how Works Committees and Grievance Redressal Committees are set up, how trade unions register and get recognised for negotiation, how standing orders are certified, how strikes, lock-outs, lay-offs, retrenchment and closure notices are given, and how offences under the Code are compounded. It also carries the full schedule of thirty forms — from a settlement memorandum to a retrenchment notice — that establishments and trade unions will use once the rules are finalised.

Forms under the State Rules

Form-I Rule 3Employer
Download
Memorandum of Settlement (conciliation or private settlement)
Form-XVII Rule 30Employer
Download
Notice of Change in Conditions of Service
Form-XVIII Rule 31Employer
Download
Voluntary Reference of Dispute to Arbitration (Arbitration Agreement)
Form-XIX Rules 33, 55 & 56Employer
Download
Authorisation to Represent the Employer in Proceedings
Form-XXVI Rule 40Employer
Download
Notice of Lock-out
Form-XXVII Rules 41 & 43Employer
Download
Notice/Intimation of Retrenchment or Closure to Government
Form-XXVIII Rules 44, 46 & 48Employer
Download
Application for Permission for Lay-off, Retrenchment or Closure
Form-XXIX Rule 52Employer
Download
Response/Application for Compounding of Offence

Due Dates

Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.

ComplianceFormCompliance FrequencyDue Date
Objections/suggestions on the draft rules — One-time Within 30 days of gazette publication (closed ~13 May 2026)
Retrenchment notice where notice was served on worker Form-XXVII Event-based Within 3 days of serving notice on the worker
Retrenchment notice where wages paid in lieu of notice Form-XXVII Event-based Within 3 days of paying the wages
Retrenchment notice where carried out by agreement Form-XXVII Event-based At least 1 month before the agreed date (or within 3 days of the agreement if that date is under 30 days away)
Retrenchment notice where carried out by agreement Form-XXVII Event-based At least 1 month before the agreed date (or within 3 days of the agreement if that date is under 30 days away)
Application for permission to close (300+ workers) Form-XXVIII Event-based At least 90 days before the intended closure date
Application for permission for lay-off/retrenchment (300+ workers) Form-XXVIII Event-based Before effecting the lay-off or retrenchment
Worker Re-skilling Fund contribution — Per retrenchment Within 10 days of the retrenchment
Intimating conciliation officer of a strike notice received — Event-based Within 5 days of receiving the notice
Intimating conciliation officer of a lock-out notice given — Event-based Within 5 days of giving the notice
Recognising protected workers nominated by a trade union — Annual Union notifies by 30 April; employer must respond within 15 days
Works Committee return on constitution and functioning — Annual As part of the unified annual return under the OSH Code, 2020
Reply to a compounding-of-offence notice Form-XXIX Event-based Within 15 days of receiving the notice

Key Provisions

What changed under the Code, and what it means for payroll.

💡Key Provisions10 tracked
Works Committee Rule 4
Where directed by the government, an employer must constitute a Works Committee of up to 20 members with worker representation at least equal to management's, to promote day-to-day harmony between employer and workers.
Grievance Redressal Committee Rules 5–7
Mandatory in establishments with 20 or more workers, with equal employer and worker representation (maximum 10 members). Workers must raise a grievance within one year; the Committee must decide within 30 days.
Trade Union Registration & Returns Rules 8–17
Sets out registration in Form-II, minimum member subscription (₹100 p.a. for unorganised-sector workers, ₹200 p.a. otherwise), and an annual general statement due by 31 March each year, audited under Section 7 of the Code.
Recognition of Negotiating Union/Council Rule 18
A single registered union is recognised as the sole negotiating union once it has at least 30% membership; where several unions exist, one needs 51% support, failing which a Negotiating Council is formed with one seat per 20% of workers represented.
Standing OrdersRules 21–29
Employers may adopt Model Standing Orders or submit a draft for certification. The certifying officer must raise objections within 30 days, failing which the standing orders are deemed certified, and they must be displayed at the establishment's entrance.
Notice of ChangeRule 30
Before changing conditions of service listed in the Code's Third Schedule (e.g. wages, hours, leave), the employer must serve Form-XVII on affected workers and display it on the notice board.
Strike & Lock-out NoticeRules 39–40
Both workers (Form-XXV) and employers (Form-XXVI) must give advance notice before a strike or lock-out, in every industrial establishment — not only in public utility services as under the earlier law.
Lay-off, Retrenchment & Closure Rules 41–49
Sets out notice periods for retrenchment and closure, and — for establishments with 300 or more workers — a requirement to obtain prior government permission before lay-off, retrenchment or closure (Chapter X of the Code).
Worker Re-skilling FundRules 50–51
On retrenching a worker, the employer must transfer an amount equal to 15 days' last-drawn wages into the Re-skilling Fund within 10 days; the amount is credited to the worker within 45 days for re-skilling support.
Compounding of Offences Rule 52
A notified Gazetted Officer may allow eligible offences to be compounded through a three-part Form-XXIX process; the accused employer must respond and pay within 15 days of receiving the notice.

Old Law vs. New Law

What employers followed before, against what applies now — point matched against point.

On this pointBefore — earlier lawNow — the new Code
Governing law Three separate laws: Industrial Disputes Act, 1947; Trade Unions Act, 1926; Chhattisgarh Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1961/Rules, 1963 One consolidated Industrial Relations Code, 2020, operationalised in Chhattisgarh by these draft state rules
Standing Orders applicability Applied to establishments with 100 or more workers Threshold raised to 300 or more workers
Government permission for lay-off/retrenchment/closure Required above 100 workers (Chapter V-B, Industrial Disputes Act) Required above 300 workers (Chapter X of the Code); states may raise the threshold further
Collective bargaining structure No statutory concept of a recognised sole bargaining union Mandatory recognition of a Negotiating Union (51%, or 30% if only one union exists) or a Negotiating Council (unions with 20%+ support)
Grievance redressal Grievance Settlement Authorities were largely optional and varied by stateGrievance Redressal Committee made mandatory nationwide for establishments with 20+ workers
Strike/lock-out notice 14–42 day notice period applied only to public utility services Notice requirement extended to all industrial establishments, not just public utilities
Worker transition supportNo equivalent statutory fundNew Worker Re-skilling Fund: employer contributes 15 days' wages per retrenched worker
Filing mode Physical registers and postal filing Electronic filing, e-registers and portal-based communication are the default mode
Penalty structure for lay-off/retrenchment/closure violations Fine or imprisonment on the first offence (Section 25-Q, Industrial Disputes Act)First offence: fine only, ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh; imprisonment applies only on a repeat offence (Section 86, Code)
Compounding of offences No structured compounding mechanism Defined three-part compounding process introduced (Form-XXIX, Rule 52)

Applicability

Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.

Covered

  • All industrial establishments in Chhattisgarh for which the State Government is the "appropriate Government" under the Code Employers, workers and registered trade unions operating in such establishments Establishments with 20+ workers — Grievance Redressal Committee is mandatory Establishments with 300+ workers — Standing Orders certification and Chapter X prior-permission requirements apply Establishments directed by government order under Section 3 — must constitute a Works Committee

Exempted / special treatment

  • Establishments where the Central Government is the appropriate Government (railways, banking, insurance, telecom, mines, major ports, central PSUs) — governed instead by the Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026 Establishments below the 300-worker threshold — exempt from Chapter X's prior-permission requirement, though basic notice and compensation obligations under Chapter IX still apply Establishments below the 20-worker threshold — not required to set up a Grievance Redressal Committee The State/Central Government may separately notify sector- or class-specific exemptions "in the public interest" under the Code

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.

What are the Industrial Relations (Chhattisgarh) Rules, 2026?

They are Chhattisgarh's draft state-level procedural rules under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020. They spell out how works committees, grievance committees, trade unions, standing orders, strikes, lock-outs, retrenchment, closure and offence compounding are to be handled in the state, and they come with a schedule of thirty forms.

Are these rules currently in force?

Not yet. They were published as a draft on 13 April 2026 for objections and suggestions, and that 30-day window has closed. As of this writing, no final notification has been traced, so employers should keep watching the Chhattisgarh Gazette for the final version.

Which establishments do these rules apply to?

Any industrial establishment in Chhattisgarh for which the State Government (rather than the Central Government) is the appropriate Government under the Code. Sectors like banking, insurance, telecom, railways and mines fall under the Central Rules instead.

What happens to the old Chhattisgarh Industrial Disputes Rules, 1957?

Once the Chhattisgarh Rules, 2026 are finally notified, they will supersede the 1957 Industrial Disputes Rules, the 1961 Trade Unions Regulations, and the 1963 Standing Orders Rules, except for things already done or actions already taken under those earlier rules.

Is a Grievance Redressal Committee mandatory for my company?

Yes, if your establishment employs 20 or more workers. The Committee must have equal employer and worker representation, capped at 10 members, and must decide grievances within 30 days of receiving them.

What is a Negotiating Union, and how is it recognised?

It's the trade union authorised to negotiate with the employer on behalf of workers. If only one registered union exists and it has at least 30% membership, it is recognised automatically. Where multiple unions exist, one needs 51% support to be the sole negotiating union; otherwise a Negotiating Council is formed from unions with at least 20% support each.

Do I need government permission before retrenching an employee?

Only if your establishment has 300 or more workers, in which case prior permission from the State Government is required under Chapter X of the Code (Form-XXVIII). Smaller establishments still need to give retrenchment notice and pay compensation, but do not need prior permission.

What is the Worker Re-skilling Fund, and how much do I have to pay?

It's a new fund the employer must contribute to whenever a worker is retrenched — an amount equal to 15 days of that worker's last-drawn wages, transferred within 10 days of the retrenchment. The amount is then credited to the worker within 45 days to support re-skilling.

How do I give notice of a strike or lock-out?

Workers give strike notice in Form-XXV, signed by the union secretary or five elected worker representatives. Employers give lock-out notice in Form-XXVI to the registered trade union(s). Both must also be copied to the concerned conciliation officer and the Labour Commissioner.

Sources

Where every fact on this page comes from.

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.