Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Department of Labour, Government of Punjab
- Notified
- 29 December 2025 (Notification No. Labo-MISC/192/2025-42/1076)
- Objection window
- 30 days from the date of Gazette publication. Objections/suggestions go to the Labour Commissioner, Punjab, Model Welfare Centre (Kirat Bhawan), Phase-X, Sector-64, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali), or by email to supdthq.disp.imp@gmail.com
- Legal basis
- Section 99(2) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act 35 of 2020)
- Supersedes
- Industrial Disputes (Punjab) Rules, 1958; Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Punjab Rules, 1978; Punjab Registered Trade Union Regulations, 1927 (Rule 67 — Repeal and savings)
- Status as of writing
- Still at draft/consultation stage. The 30-day objection window closed in late January 2026; a separate final notification for Punjab had not been publicly confirmed at the time this was written. Check pblabour.gov.in for the current position before relying on these rules.
On 29 December 2025, the Punjab Labour Department published the draft Industrial Relations (Punjab) Rules, 2026. These rules explain, step by step, how the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 will actually work on the ground in Punjab — from setting up a Works Committee to filing a retrenchment notice. If you run a factory, shop, or any industrial establishment in Punjab, or you're part of a registered trade union, this guide walks through what the draft rules say, which forms you may need, and the deadlines worth marking on your calendar.
Forms under the State Rules
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setting up a Works Committee | One-time, on Government order | Immediately (“forthwith”) after the order under Section 3 | |
| Informing the Conciliation Officer once a Grievance Redressal Committee is formed | Event-based | Within 15 days of constituting the Committee | |
| Worker filing a grievance with the GRC | Event-based | Within 1 year of the cause of action | |
| Worker appealing a GRC decision to the Conciliation Officer | Event-based | Within 60 days of the GRC decision, or of the 30-day decision period lapsing | |
| Notice before changing a worker's service conditions | Form VIII | Event-based | Before the change takes effect; copies go to the union and Conciliation Officer |
| Notice of strike | Form XIII | Event-based | Before the strike begins |
| Notice of lock-out; reporting any strike/lock-out notice received | Form XIV | Event-based | Notice before lock-out; report to Conciliation Officer/Labour Commissioner within 5 days |
| Retrenchment notice to Government | Form XV | Event-based | One month before the retrenchment |
| Offering re-employment to a retrenched worker | Event-based | Within 30 days of informing the worker of the vacancy | |
| Closure notice to Government (general establishments) | Form XV | Event-based | Before closing down the establishment |
| Permission to continue a lay-off in mines (fire/flood/gas/explosion) | Event-based | Application within 30 days of the lay-off starting | |
| Permission for lay-off/retrenchment (larger establishments) | Form XVI | Event-based | Before carrying out the lay-off/retrenchment |
| Permission for closure (larger establishments) | Form XVI | Event-based | At least 90 days before the intended closure date |
| Depositing money into the Worker Re-skilling Fund | Per retrenchment | Within 10 days of retrenching a worker | |
| State crediting re-skilling funds to the worker | Event-based | Within 45 days of receiving the employer's deposit | |
| Depositing the compounding amount | Form XVII | Event-based | Within 15 days of receiving the compounding notice |
| Sending the protected-workmen list to the employer | Annual | Before 31 December every year | |
| Employer confirming the protected-workmen list | Event-based | Within 15 days of receiving the union's list | |
| Deciding a worker's complaint under Section 91 | Form XVIII | Event-based | Within 30 days of filing |
| Filing the trade union's annual return | Form II | Annual | By 31 March every year |
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 framework | Three separate laws — the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (with Punjab ID Rules, 1958), the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 (with Punjab Standing Orders Rules), and the Trade Unions Act, 1926 (with Punjab TU Regulations, 1927) | One consolidated law — the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 — with a single set of Punjab rules covering all three areas together |
| Standing orders threshold | Applied to establishments with 100 or more workers | Applies only to establishments with 300 or more workers |
| Government permission for lay-off/retrenchment/closure | Required once an establishment crossed 100 workers | Required only once an establishment crosses 300 workers |
| Grievance redressal | No dedicated, statutory Grievance Redressal Committee procedure under the old Punjab rules | Mandatory GRC with defined composition, women's representation, and a fixed 3-year tenure |
| Strike/lock-out notice | Mandatory advance notice largely limited to public utility services | Minimum notice (generally 14 days under the Code) applies across covered establishments, using standard Forms XIII/XIV |
| Negotiating with the employer | No single statutory concept of a “negotiating union” or “negotiating council” | Clear membership-based tests — 33% for a sole negotiating union, 51% threshold with a fallback negotiating council |
| Support for retrenched workers | No dedicated re-skilling support fund | New Worker Re-skilling Fund — 15 days' wages credited to every retrenched worker |
| Filing and communication | Largely paper-based, physical submission to authorities | Electronic filing/communication is allowed (and often preferred) for most notices, applications and returns, alongside registered/speed post |
| Trade union registration | Governed by the 1927 Punjab Regulations, without a standard affidavit format | Standardised Form III affidavit, Form IV application and Form V certificate, with Aadhaar-linked member verification |
| Compounding of offences | Limited, less structured compounding process | Defined four-part compounding notice/application/receipt process (Form XVII) with fixed timelines |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- All industrial establishments in Punjab as defined under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (factories, industrial undertakings, industries, trades, businesses, manufacturing units, etc.)
- Employers and workers (including supervisory staff drawing wages up to the ceiling fixed under the Code) in such establishments
- Registered trade unions operating in Punjab, and federations or state-level unions seeking recognition
- Establishments with 20 or more workers — mandatory Grievance Redressal Committee
- Establishments with 300 or more workers — mandatory certified standing orders, and prior Government permission needed for lay-off, retrenchment or closure
- Establishments the State Government specifically directs to form a Works Committee under Section 3 of the Code
Exempted / special treatment
- Establishments engaged wholly or mainly in charitable, social, or philanthropic work
- Government functions of a sovereign nature — defence, atomic energy, space research, and similar activities
- Domestic service and purely personal engagements, which fall outside the definition of an “establishment”
- Seasonal establishments, or those where work happens only intermittently, get different treatment under the lay-off/retrenchment/closure permission rules
- Mines get a special procedure (Rule 53) for continuing a lay-off caused by fire, flood, or excess inflammable gas/explosion
- New establishments may be exempted by the State Government, in whole or in part, in the public interest
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
Q. What exactly are the Industrial Relations (Punjab) Rules, 2026?
A. They are the state-level rules that spell out how the central Industrial Relations Code, 2020 works in practice in Punjab — covering Works Committees, trade union registration, standing orders, strikes and lock-outs, retrenchment, and dispute resolution.
Q. Have these rules already come into force?
A. Not fully. They were published as a draft on 29 December 2025 for public objections and suggestions. Check the Punjab Labour Department's website for the current, final version before relying on them for compliance.
Q. Which older Punjab laws will these rules replace?
A. Once finalised, they repeal the Industrial Disputes (Punjab) Rules, 1958, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Punjab Rules, 1978, and the Punjab Registered Trade Union Regulations, 1927 — though anything already done under those rules stays valid.
Q. How can an employer or a trade union object to the draft?
A. Objections and suggestions can be emailed to supdthq.disp.imp@gmail.com, or sent to the Labour Commissioner, Punjab, Model Welfare Centre (Kirat Bhawan), Phase-X, Sector-64, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali), within 30 days of the Gazette publication.
Q. Does every employer need to set up a Works Committee?
A. Only if the Government has specifically ordered your establishment to constitute one under Section 3 of the Code. Where that order exists, the committee must be formed straight away, with 6 to 12 members.
Q. What is a Grievance Redressal Committee, and is it compulsory?
A. It is an in-house panel where workers can raise complaints. It becomes compulsory once an establishment has 20 or more workers, with equal representation for the employer and worker sides.
Q. Which forms should an employer specifically keep on hand?
A. The most common ones are Form VIII (change in service conditions), Form XIV (lock-out notice), Form XV (retrenchment/closure notice), and Form XVI (permission for lay-off, retrenchment, or closure in larger establishments).
Q. When does an employer need Government permission before retrenching or laying off workers?
A. Only once the establishment has 300 or more workers. Below that number, the employer must still give notice and pay compensation, but formal Government permission is not required.
Q. What is the Worker Re-skilling Fund?
A. A new fund into which the employer deposits an amount equal to 15 days' last-drawn wages for every retrenched worker, within 10 days of the retrenchment. The state then credits this to the worker's bank account within 45 days.
Q. What does “negotiating union” mean?
A. It is the trade union recognised as the official body to negotiate with the employer. A single union needs at least 33% worker membership to be the sole negotiating union; if none crosses that mark, or several unions exist, a broader negotiating council is formed instead.
Q. How much notice must an employer give before a lock-out or before changing service conditions?
A. Notice must go out before the lock-out or the change takes effect, with copies typically shared with the registered trade union and the Conciliation Officer. It's sensible to build in a reasonable lead time and keep proof of service.
Q. What happens if a registered trade union misses its annual return deadline?
A. The annual return (Form II) is due by 31 March every year. Missing it can raise compliance concerns with the Registrar and may complicate recognition or fund-related matters later, so unions should treat this date as fixed.
Q. Where can I check whether these rules have since been finalised?
A. Visit pblabour.gov.in or track the Punjab Government Gazette for the final notification, since the rules can still change during the consultation process.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → Government of Punjab, Department of Labour — Notification No. Labo-MISC/192/2025-42/1076 dated 29 December 2025 (Draft Industrial Relations (Punjab) Rules, 2026) (official)
- → Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act 35 of 2020), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India (official)
- → Punjab Labour Department, official website — pblabour.gov.in (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.