Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Labour and Skills (E) Department, Government of Kerala
- Notified
- 30 December 2021 — Kerala Gazette, Extraordinary, No. 3859, Notification No. E3/54/2021-LBRD
- Objection window
- 45 days from the date of publication of the notification in the Official Gazette
- Legal basis
- Section 99 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act 35 of 2020), read with Section 24 of the General Clauses Act, 1897
- Supersedes
- Kerala Industrial Dispute Rules, 1957; Kerala Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1958; Kerala Trade Unions Regulations, 1958; Kerala Recognition of Trade Union Rules, 2011
- Status as of
- Draft — final notification pending (position as of July 2026)
Kerala is in the process of replacing four separate, decades-old labour laws with one unified set of rules. The draft Kerala Industrial Relations Rules, 2021 are meant to work alongside the central Industrial Relations Code, 2020, and once finalised, they will take over from the Kerala Industrial Dispute Rules, 1957, the Kerala Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1958, the Kerala Trade Unions Regulations, 1958, and the Kerala Recognition of Trade Union Rules, 2011. This guide breaks the draft down in plain language: what is covered, which forms your HR team actually has to fill in, when payments and filings fall due, and how the new rules compare with the older Kerala laws they will eventually replace.
The Kerala Labour and Skills Department published these as draft rules in the Kerala Gazette on 30 December 2021 and they have not yet been notified in final form. Under Rule 1(3), they come into force only on the date they are finally published in the Official Gazette. Although the parent Industrial Relations Code, 2020 came into force across India on 21 November 2025, and the Central Government notified its own final Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026 on 8 May 2026, Kerala's own procedural rules are still awaiting final notification as of July 2026. Until that happens, employers in Kerala should read this draft alongside the central Code's provisions, and should check the Kerala Gazette and Labour Commissionerate website before relying on any single figure or date for compliance.
Forms under the State Rules
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constitute the Works Committee once the Government orders it | One-time, per order | Forthwith (without delay) | |
| Send the list of protected trade union office-bearers to the Trade Union | Annually | On or before 30 April every year | |
| Issue Certificate of Recognition after receiving the Verification Officer's report | Form XX | As it arises | Within 7 days of receiving Form XVIII |
| Give notice before a lay-off (where permission is required) | Form XXXVIII | As it arises | At least 15 days before the lay-off begins |
| Apply to continue an existing lay-off | Form XXXVIII | As it arises | At least 15 days before the earlier lay-off ends |
| Apply for permission to retrench (where permission is required) | Form XXXVIII | As it arises | At least 60 days before the intended date |
| Apply for permission to close down (where permission is required) | Form XXXVIII | As it arises | At least 90 days before the intended date |
| Intimate retrenchment (where permission is not required) | Form XXXVII | As it arises | At least 30 days before retrenchment |
| Intimate closure (where permission is not required) | Form XXXVII | As it arises | At least 60 days before closure |
| Transfer money into the Workers Re-skilling Fund | As it arises | Within 10 days of retrenching a worker | |
| Display the draft Standing Orders on the notice board | As it arises | Within 7 days of the Certifying Officer's notice |
Key Provisions
What changed under the Code, and what it means for payroll.
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 laws | Four separate Kerala laws: Industrial Dispute Rules, 1957; Standing Orders Rules, 1958; Trade Unions Regulations, 1958; and Recognition of Trade Union Rules, 2011 | One consolidated set of rules — the Kerala Industrial Relations Rules, 2021 (still in draft) |
| Mode of filing | Largely paper-based, in person or by post | Electronic filing through a state portal is allowed alongside post, in most cases |
| Trade union registration fee | Set separately under the earlier Trade Unions Regulations, 1958 | Flat ₹10,000 registration fee; ₹5,000 for a rule amendment; ₹5,000 for a duplicate certificate |
| Grievance redressal | No single, uniform Grievance Redressal Committee requirement across establishments | Mandatory Grievance Redressal Committee with defined women's representation |
| Standing orders threshold (under the Code) | 100 or more workers (Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946) | 300 or more workers (Industrial Relations Code, 2020) |
| Lay-off / retrenchment / closure permission threshold (under the Code) | 100 or more workers (Industrial Disputes Act, 1947) | 300 or more workers (Industrial Relations Code, 2020) |
| Union recognition process | Governed separately by the Kerala Recognition of Trade Union Rules, 2011 | Brought into the same rules (Chapter IV), run by a Verification Officer with a defined election process |
| Support for retrenched workers | No dedicated re-skilling fund | New Workers Re-skilling Fund, funded through a mandatory employer contribution |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- Employers and workers of every industrial establishment in Kerala to which the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 applies — including factories, plantations, shops, commercial establishments and other industrial establishments — along with the trade unions connected with them.
- Note: the worker-count thresholds below come from the central Industrial Relations Code, 2020 itself, not from the Kerala rules — the state rules mainly set out the procedure that applies once a threshold is crossed.
Exempted / special treatment
- Persons employed mainly in a managerial or administrative capacity — excluded from the definition of 'worker' under the Code (Section 2(zr)).
- Persons in a supervisory capacity earning more than ₹18,000 a month, or any higher amount notified by the Central Government — also excluded from 'worker'.
- Apprentices engaged under the Apprentices Act, 1961 — excluded from the definition of 'worker'.
- Members of the Armed Forces of the Union — excluded from the definition of 'employee'.
- Institutions run wholly or substantially for charitable, social or philanthropic purposes — excluded from the definition of 'industry'.
- Any new industrial establishment or class of establishments — the Government may exempt it from all or part of the Code under Section 96, in the public interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
What are the Kerala Industrial Relations Rules, 2021?
They are the draft state-level rules that will operate alongside the central Industrial Relations Code, 2020 in Kerala, covering everything from trade union registration to lay-off, retrenchment and closure procedures.
Have the Kerala Industrial Relations Rules, 2021 come into force?
Not yet. They remain in draft form. The Labour and Skills Department published them in the Kerala Gazette on 30 December 2021 inviting objections and suggestions, and a final notification is still awaited as of July 2026.
Which older Kerala laws will these rules replace?
Once finalised, they will replace the Kerala Industrial Dispute Rules, 1957; the Kerala Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1958; the Kerala Trade Unions Regulations, 1958; and the Kerala Recognition of Trade Union Rules, 2011.
Does the Industrial Relations Code already apply in Kerala even though the state rules are still a draft?
Yes. The central Industrial Relations Code, 2020 came into force across India from 21 November 2025. Kerala's own procedural rules add the state-specific detail, so employers should follow the central Code's provisions while the state draft is finalised.
Who has to comply with these rules?
Employers, workers, and trade unions connected with industrial establishments in Kerala that fall under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 — with a few categories, such as managerial staff and higher-paid supervisors, falling outside the definition of 'worker'.
What is a Works Committee, and who has to set one up?
It's a joint employer-worker body, capped at 20 members, that an employer must form once the Government issues an order requiring it, with worker representatives never outnumbered by the employer's side.
What is a Grievance Redressal Committee?
An equal-strength employer-worker committee (up to 10 members) set up to resolve individual worker complaints, with a mandatory, proportionate share of seats for women workers.
How much does it cost to register a trade union in Kerala under these rules?
The registration fee is ₹10,000. Amending a union's rules costs ₹5,000 per set of changes, and a duplicate registration certificate also costs ₹5,000.
How does a trade union get recognised as the sole negotiating union?
If only one registered union exists and it has at least one-third of the workforce as members, the employer must recognise it directly. Where more than one union exists, a Verification Officer conducts a secret-ballot election to decide.
What happens if there is more than one trade union at a workplace?
The Verification Officer notifies every registered union, invites applications, and — if needed — holds an election by secret ballot to determine which union (or unions, for a negotiating council) gets recognised.
What are Standing Orders, and when must an employer get them certified?
Standing Orders set out workplace conduct rules, such as classification of workers, working hours, and disciplinary procedure. An employer can adopt the Central Government's Model Standing Orders or submit its own draft to the Certifying Officer using Form XXII.
How much notice must an employer give before a lock-out?
The employer must send Form XXXVI to the union, the Conciliation Officer, and the Labour Commissioner before declaring a lock-out, along with the reasons for it.
What is the Workers Re-skilling Fund?
It's a fund, introduced under the Code, into which an employer must deposit an amount equal to 15 days' wages for every worker it retrenches, within 10 days of the retrenchment, so the worker can use it toward re-skilling.
Do all establishments need government permission before a retrenchment or closure?
No. Only non-seasonal establishments employing 300 or more workers need prior government permission under the Code. Smaller establishments generally just need to send an intimation notice instead.
Can offences under the rules be settled without going to court?
Many offences can be compounded — settled by paying 50% of the maximum fine for fine-only offences, or 75% where the offence also carries up to a year's imprisonment — without needing a full court prosecution.
Where can employers file forms and applications under these rules?
Most forms can be submitted electronically through the State Government's designated portal, or sent by post/registered post to the relevant officer — the Registrar of Trade Unions, Verification Officer, Certifying Officer, Conciliation Officer, or the State Government, depending on the form.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → Kerala Gazette — Draft Kerala Industrial Relations Rules, 2021, Notification No. E3/54/2021-LBRD dated 30 December 2021 (official)
- → Kerala State Labour Commissionerate — Draft State Rules under the IR Code (official)
- → PRS Legislative Research — The Industrial Relations Code, 2020
- → PIB — Industrial Relations Code, 2020: Promoting Harmony and Ease of Doing Business (official)
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.