Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department, Government of Tamil Nadu
- Notified
- 11 April 2022 (draft) vide G.O. Ms. No. 37 and No. SRO A 8(b)/2022, Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 215
- Objection window
- Forty five days from the date the Gazette copies were made available to the public. Objections were to be sent to the Secretary to Government through the Commissioner of Labour or by email to com.tnlabour@nic.in
- Legal basis
- Section 99 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 read with Section 24 of the General Clauses Act, 1897
- Supersedes
- Tamil Nadu Trade Unions Regulations, 1927; Tamil Nadu Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1947; Tamil Nadu Industrial Disputes Rules, 1958
- Status as of
- July 2026: Draft stage. Final state notification awaited. The parent Code is already in force from 21 November 2025
The Government of Tamil Nadu published the draft Industrial Relations (Tamil Nadu) Rules, 2022 through G.O. Ms. No. 37 of the Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department. The draft has been framed under Section 99 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 and will supersede the Tamil Nadu Trade Unions Regulations, 1927, the Tamil Nadu Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1947 and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Disputes Rules, 1958. The rules cover works committees, grievance redressal committees, trade union registration, negotiating unions, standing orders, notice of change, strikes and lock outs, lay off, retrenchment, closure, the worker re skilling fund and compounding of offences. Once final, every industrial establishment in the state sphere in Tamil Nadu will follow these rules for its industrial relations compliance.
The draft was published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette on 11 April 2022 with a forty five day objection window. The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 came into force across India on 21 November 2025 and the Central Government notified its final Industrial Relations (Central) Rules on 8 May 2026.
Forms under the State Rules
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of change in service conditions on Third Schedule matters | Form XIV | Event based | Before effecting the change, with display on the notice board and copy to the union and Conciliation Officer |
| Intimation after receiving a strike notice from workers | No form (intimation) | Event based | Within five days of receiving the strike notice, to the Conciliation Officer and Commissioner of Labour |
| Notice of lock out and intimation to authorities | Form XX | Event based | Notice to every registered trade union with copies to authorities; intimation within five days of giving the notice |
| Intimation of retrenchment to the Government | Form XXI | Event based | Thirty days before the retrenchment takes effect |
| Offer of re employment to retrenched workers | By registered or speed post and email | Event based | At least ten days before filling a vacancy that arises within one year of retrenchment |
| Notice of closure to the Government | Form XXI | Event based | Sixty days before the intended closure |
| Application for permission to lay off | Form XXII | Event based | At least fifteen days before the intended lay off |
| Application for permission to retrench | Form XXII | Event based | At least sixty days before the intended retrenchment |
| Application for permission to close down | Form XXII | Event based | At least ninety days before the intended closure |
| Transfer to the Worker Re Skilling Fund | Electronic transfer | Event based | Fifteen days of last drawn wages per retrenched worker, within ten days of retrenchment |
| Recognition of protected workers list | Written communication | Annual | Within fifteen days of receiving the union list; unions send names before 30 September every year |
| Deposit of compounding amount | Form XXIII Part III | Event based | Within fifteen days from receipt of the compounding 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 framework | Three separate sets: Trade Unions Regulations 1927, Standing Orders Rules 1947 and Industrial Disputes Rules 1958 | One consolidated set of rules under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 |
| Mode of filing | Physical filing and postal communication | Electronic filing by email, designated portal and digital payment recognised across the rules |
| Grievance redressal | No structured plant level grievance body under the old rules | Grievance Redressal Committee of up to ten members with equal employer and worker representation and mandatory representation for women workers |
| Union negotiation rights | No statutory concept of a negotiating union in the old regime | Sole negotiating union status for a single union with thirty percent membership; negotiating council where no union qualifies; recognition valid for three years, extendable up to five |
| Membership verification | No prescribed secret ballot mechanism | Verification of union membership through secret ballot conducted by a verification officer appointed and funded by the employer |
| Adjudication | Labour Courts and Tribunals under the Industrial Disputes Act | Industrial Tribunal with a Judicial Member and an Administrative Member selected through a Search cum Selection Committee |
| Support for retrenched workers | No re skilling support | Worker Re Skilling Fund: employer transfers fifteen days of last drawn wages per retrenched worker for re skilling |
| Offences | Prosecution was the only route | Compounding of offences allowed through a notified compounding officer using Form XXIII |
| Union subscription | Nominal subscription amounts under the old regulations | Minimum subscription of sixty rupees per annum, or higher as fixed by the Government |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- Industrial establishments and undertakings in Tamil Nadu falling in the state sphere under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020
- Employers, workers and registered trade unions connected with such establishments
- Works Committee needed where the Government so orders for establishments with one hundred or more workers under Section 3 of the Code
Exempted / special treatment
- Establishments where the Central Government is the appropriate government follow the Industrial Relations (Central) Rules
- Chapter X special provisions on prior permission for lay off, retrenchment and closure apply only to establishments covered by that Chapter of the Code, being mines, factories and plantations with three hundred or more workers
- Establishments below the Works Committee and Grievance Redressal Committee thresholds in the Code
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
Q1. Are the Industrial Relations (Tamil Nadu) Rules, 2022 in force today?
No. They are still at the draft stage. The draft was published on 11 April 2022 for public objections. The final state notification is awaited even though the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 itself came into force on 21 November 2025.
Q2. Which old rules will these new rules replace?
Three sets: the Tamil Nadu Trade Unions Regulations, 1927, the Tamil Nadu Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1947 and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Disputes Rules, 1958.
Q3. Who do these rules apply to?
Industrial establishments in Tamil Nadu where the State Government is the appropriate government under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020. Establishments in the central sphere follow the Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026.
Q4. When does a trade union become the sole negotiating union?
When it is the only registered trade union operating in the establishment and at least thirty percent of the total workers are its members, the employer must recognise it as the sole negotiating union.
Q5. Who pays for verification of trade union membership?
The employer. The employer appoints an independent verification officer, bears all expenses and makes all arrangements for the secret ballot.
Q6. How long is the recognition of a negotiating union valid?
Three years from the date of recognition or constitution of the negotiating council. The employer and the union can mutually extend it, but the total period cannot cross five years.
Q7. What is the minimum trade union subscription under the draft rules?
Sixty rupees per annum per member, or any higher amount the Government fixes from time to time.
Q8. How much notice is needed before closing an establishment?
Sixty days notice to the Government in Form XXI for closure intimation under Rule 50. Establishments covered by Chapter X of the Code need prior permission and must apply in Form XXII at least ninety days before the intended closure.
Q9. What is the Worker Re Skilling Fund contribution?
For every retrenched worker, the employer transfers an amount equal to fifteen days of last drawn wages within ten days of retrenchment. The Conciliation Officer transfers it to the worker within forty five days for re skilling.
Q10. Can an employer change service conditions directly?
No. For matters in the Third Schedule of the Code, the employer must give notice of change in Form XIV to the affected workers or the negotiating union and display it at the main entrance of the establishment.
Q11. What happens after a failed conciliation?
Either party can file an application in Form XVIII before the Industrial Tribunal within ninety days from the date of the conciliation failure report.
Q12. Can offences under the Code be settled without going to court?
Yes, for compoundable offences. The compounding officer issues a notice in Form XXIII with the compounding amount. The employer files Part III of the form and deposits the amount within fifteen days. On composition before prosecution, no complaint is filed at all.
Q13. Who are protected workers and how many can there be?
Officers of a registered trade union recognised by the employer as protected workers under Section 90 of the Code. Unions send their lists by 30 September every year and the employer confirms the list within fifteen days.
Q14. Is electronic filing allowed under the draft rules?
Yes. The rules recognise filing by email, uploading on the designated portal and digital payment for almost every application, notice and return.
Q15. What should Tamil Nadu employers do right now?
Track the final notification, map the employer forms and timelines in this guide against internal processes, review standing orders against the Central model, and prepare for negotiating union recognition and the re skilling fund workflow.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 215 dated 11 April 2022, Part III Section 1(a), G.O. Ms. No. 37, Labour Welfare and Skill Development (H2) Department, No. SRO A 8(b)/2022 (official)
- → Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act 35 of 2020) (official)
- → Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026, Ministry of Labour and Employment, notified 8 May 2026 (official)
- → Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department, Government of Tamil Nadu (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.