Rules under new labour code to be finalised by February end: Centre to Delhi High Court

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday told the Delhi High Court that rules under the Industrial Relations Code will be finalised by the end of February.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma informed a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia that suggestions from the public had been sought and framing of rules was under consideration.

The court was hearing a petition on the implementation of the Industrial Relations Code 2020, which consolidates all laws relating to trade unions, conditions of employment in an industrial establishment and settlement of industrial disputes.

According to the petitioners, N A Sebastian and Sunil Kumar, the Central government published a gazette notification on November 21, 2025, notifying the Industrial Relations Code 2020, but did not frame the rules to implement the new regime or constitute the tribunals under it.

On Monday, Solicitor General Mehta said the Centre issued two notifications today to remove the existing lacunae and ensure a smooth transition.

The notifications, he said, repealed the earlier labour enactments with effect from November 21, 2025, and clarified that the tribunals established under the earlier labour laws would continue to function for the time being until such statutory bodies are constituted under the new code.

The court closed the proceedings, observing that the petitioners' concerns had been addressed.

It said that if there were any "hiccups" in the implementation of the new labour code after the formulation of the new rules, the petitioner could raise them in a petition at that stage.

The petitioners contended that in the absence of rules, there would be a legal vacuum and the authorities under the earlier laws would not be able to function.

The court, however, said such apprehension was unfounded.

“In our opinion, concerns on the writ petition are addressed and continuing the proceedings would not be required," the court said.

The petitioners said that the code provided for the transfer of all pending cases to tribunals which were non-existent.

They also claimed that the entire functioning of the industrial tribunals and labour courts in Delhi had come to a halt and was mired in utter confusion.