Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Department of Labour, Government of Goa
- Notified
- 24 April 2026 (Notification No. 24/19/2021/LAB/Part-I/208); published in the Official Gazette, Series I No. 5 (Supplement), dated 30 April 2026
- Objection window
- 30 days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette (i.e., up to on or about 30 May 2026)
- Legal basis
- Section 99(1) and (2) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act No. 35 of 2020)
- Supersedes
- Draft Industrial Relation (Goa) Rules, 2021 (Notification No. 24/19/2021-LAB dated 21 October 2021) and the Goa, Daman and Diu Trade Unions Regulations, 1963 (framed under the now-repealed Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926)
- Status as of
- 20 July 2026 — draft stage; objection period closed; final notification not publicly confirmed
India's Industrial Relations Code, 2020 folded three older central laws — the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 — into a single code. The four national Labour Codes were brought into force on 21 November 2025, and states are now framing their own implementing rules. On 24 April 2026, the Goa Department of Labour pre-published the Industrial Relation (Goa) Rules, 2026, replacing an earlier 2021 draft and the Goa, Daman and Diu Trade Unions Regulations, 1963. The draft covers Works Committees, Grievance Redressal Committees, trade union registration and audit, standing orders, arbitration, strikes and lock-outs, lay-off, retrenchment and closure, the Workers' Re-skilling Fund, and offences and penalties — with 28 prescribed forms attached.
Forms under the State Rules
Download
Notice of change in conditions of service proposed by an employer
Download
Arbitration agreement (voluntary reference of an industrial dispute)
Download
Notice of lock-out
Download
Notice of intimation of retrenchment / closure to the Government
Download
Application for permission — lay-off / continuation of lay-off / retrenchment / closure (establishments to which Chapter X applies)
Download
Application for compounding of an offence
Download
Authorization of employer for representation in proceedings
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of change in service conditions | Form XVII | Event-based | Before effecting the change; copy served on the union / notice board simultaneously |
| Intimation of retrenchment to Government | Form XXIV | Event-based | At least 30 days before the intended date of retrenchment |
| Intimation of closure to Government | Form XXIV | Event-based | At least 60 days before the intended date of closure |
| Permission for lay-off (Chapter X establishments) | Form XXV | Event-based | At least 15 days before the intended lay-off |
| Permission for retrenchment (Chapter X establishments) | Form XXV | Event-based | At least 60 days before the intended retrenchment |
| Permission for closure (Chapter X establishments) | Form XXV | Event-based | At least 90 days before the intended closure |
| Notice of lock-out | Form XXIII | Event-based | Displayed and served before the lock-out commences |
| Intimating authorities of a strike notice received | — | Event-based | Within 5 days of receiving the workers' strike notice |
| Transfer to Workers' Re-skilling Fund on retrenchment | — | Event-based (per retrenchment) | Within 10 days of retrenching a worker |
| Display of retrenchment seniority list | — | Event-based | At least 7 days before the actual date of retrenchment |
| Notice of vacancy to eligible retrenched workers | — | Event-based | At least 15 days before the vacancy is filled |
| Annual Return of a registered Trade Union | Form XV | Annual | On or before 31 March each year |
Key Provisions
What changed under the Code, and what it means for payroll.
💡Key Provisions11 tracked
Constitution of Works Committee Rule 4
Employer must constitute a Works Committee of up to 20 members with proportional worker representation; women workers must be represented in proportion to their share of the workforce.
Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) Rule 5
Equal employer–worker representation, capped at 10 members; worker representatives are chosen by the registered trade union, or by workers directly where none exists; women's representation is mandatory.
Registration of Trade Unions Rule 13
Registration fee fixed at Rs. 1,000; applications may be filed electronically; registration is deemed granted if the Registrar does not decide within 30 days.
Recognition of Negotiating Union / Council Rule 17
A single registered union with 30% or more worker membership on the muster roll is entitled to negotiate directly with the employer; membership is verified by secret ballot conducted by a State-appointed Verification Officer.
Certification of Standing Orders Rules 25–27
Employer adopting model standing orders must intimate the Certifying Officer; adoption is deemed complete if no objection is raised within 30 days; certified orders must be authenticated and circulated within 7 days.
Notice of change in service conditions Rule 34
Employer must give advance written notice of any proposed change in listed conditions of service, displayed on the notice board and served on the relevant trade union.
Strike and lock-out notices Rules 42–43
Strike notice must be signed by the union President/Secretary and five elected worker representatives; lock-out notice must be displayed conspicuously; the employer must inform the Conciliation Officer within 5 days of receiving either notice.
Lay-off, retrenchment & closure permission (Chapter X) Rules 47–51
For establishments where Chapter X applies, prior government permission is mandatory before lay-off, retrenchment or closure, with lead times of 15, 60 and 90 days respectively.
Workers' Re-skilling Fund Rules 52–53
On every retrenchment, the employer must transfer an amount equal to 15 days' last-drawn wages of the retrenched worker into a government-maintained fund; the government credits the amount to the worker within 45 days.
Compounding of offences Rule 55
A designated Compounding Officer may allow eligible offences to be compounded on payment of a specified amount within 15 days, avoiding prosecution.
Protected workmen Rule 56
Registered trade unions must communicate the names of office-bearers to be recognised as "protected workers" by 30 April each year; the employer must respond within 15 days.
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 law | Three separate central Acts — Trade Unions Act, 1926; Industrial Disputes Act, 1947; Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 | One consolidated Industrial Relations Code, 2020, backed by state rules such as these draft Goa Rules |
| Trade union registration fee | Nominal, largely manual filing under the 1926 Act / Goa Trade Unions Regulations, 1963 | Fixed at Rs. 1,000; e-filing enabled; deemed registration within 30 days if the Registrar does not respond |
| Minimum union subscription | No uniform statutory minimum prescribed | Minimum Rs. 250 per member per annum prescribed by rule |
| Sole bargaining agent | No statutory concept of a recognised "negotiating union"; recognition was largely informal or state-specific | Statutory Negotiating Union (30%+ membership) or Negotiating Council, verified by secret ballot |
| Standing Orders applicability | Applied to establishments employing 100 or more workmen | Threshold raised to 300 or more workers |
| Lay-off / retrenchment / closure permission threshold | Government permission required for establishments with 100 or more workmen (Industrial Disputes Act, Chapter V-B) | Threshold raised to 300 or more workers; closure now needs 90 days' prior notice (up from 60 days) |
| Dispute adjudication forum | Labour Court, Industrial Tribunal and National Tribunal — a multi-tier structure | A single two-member Industrial Tribunal (Judicial Member + Administrative Member) |
| Worker re-skilling on retrenchment | No statutory re-skilling fund existed | Mandatory Workers' Re-skilling Fund; 15 days' wages credited to the retrenched worker within 45 days |
| Filing mode for notices and applications | Predominantly paper-based | Electronic filing/communication permitted as an alternative to post or hand delivery for almost all compliances |
| Grievance Redressal Committee | Not uniformly mandatory across establishments | Mandatory under Section 4 of the Code, with a guaranteed minimum share for women workers |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- All industrial establishments in Goa for which the Government of Goa is the "appropriate Government" under the Code
- Employers and workers of establishments to which a Works Committee order under Section 3 applies
- Establishments required to set up a Grievance Redressal Committee under Section 4
- Registered trade unions, their office-bearers and members (Chapter III)
- Establishments required to certify Standing Orders (Chapter IV)
- Establishments meeting the notified worker-strength threshold for Chapter X (lay-off, retrenchment, closure permission)
- Employers retrenching workers, for Workers' Re-skilling Fund contributions (Chapter IX)
Exempted / special treatment
- Establishments for which the Central Government is the appropriate Government (e.g., railways, major ports, mines under central control) — disputes are transferred to the concerned central authority
- Establishments not covered by a Section 3 order — a Works Committee is not mandatory
- Very small establishments may fall outside the GRC threshold prescribed under the Code
- Unregistered worker associations that do not seek registration
- Establishments employing fewer than 300 workers — Standing Orders provisions do not compulsorily apply
- Seasonal establishments, or those where work is performed only intermittently, are excluded from the Chapter X permission requirement
- Badli or casual workers may be treated differently for compensation purposes
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
What are the Industrial Relation (Goa) Rules, 2026?
They are the draft state rules that operationalise the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 in Goa — covering Works Committees, Grievance Redressal Committees, trade unions, standing orders, strikes, lock-outs, lay-off, retrenchment, closure and offences.
Are these rules currently in force?
Not yet confirmed as final. They were pre-published as a draft on 30 April 2026; the 30-day objection window has closed, but no public confirmation of final notification was available as of 20 July 2026.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → Government of Goa, Department of Labour — Draft Notification No. 24/19/2021/LAB/Part-I/208 dated 24 April 2026, Official Gazette, Series I No. 5 (Supplement), dated 30 April 2026.
- → The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act No. 35 of 2020), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India.
- → Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026 — Notification G.S.R. 342(E) dated 8 May 2026, Ministry of Labour & Employment.
- → Ministry of Labour & Employment / PIB announcements on the coming into force of the four Labour Codes, effective 21 November 2025.
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.