The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoL&E) on May 08, 2026, issued the Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026.
The following are some of the rules stated namely: -
• The Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026, supersedes the following rules namely: -
o The Payment of Wages (Procedure) Rules, 1937
o The Payment of Wages (Railways) Rules, 1938
o The Minimum Wages (Central) Rules, 1950
o The Payment of Wages (Mines) Rules, 1956
o The Payment of Wages (Procedure) Application to Scheduled Employment’s Rules, 1962
o The Payment of Wages (Manner of Recovery of excess Deductions) Rules, 1966
o The Payment of Wages (Air Transport Services) Rules, 1968
o The Payment of Wages (Deductions for National Defence Fund and Defence Savings Scheme) Rules, 1972
o The Payment of Bonus Rules, 1975
o The Equal Remuneration Rules, 1976
o The Payment of Undisbursed Wages (Air Transport Services) Rules, 1988
o The Payment of Undisbursed Wages (Mines) Rules, 1989
o The Central Advisory Committee on Equal Remuneration Rules, 1991
o The Payment of Wages (Nomination) Rules, 2009
o The Minimum Wages (Central Advisory Board) Rules, 2011
o The Code on Wages (Central Advisory Board) Rules, 2021
o The Ease of Compliance to Maintain Register under Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 (25 of 1976), Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (11 of 1948) and the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 (4 of 1936)
• The minimum rate of wages shall be fixed by the day basis keeping in view the criteria which shall be separately specified by the Central Government by special or general order,
Where the rate of wages for a day is fixed, such amount shall be divided by eight for fixing the rate of wages for an hour and multiplied by twenty six for fixing the rate of wages for a month and in such division and multiplication the factors of one-half and more than one-half shall be rounded as next figure and the factors less than one-half shall be ignored.
In case there is less than six days working week, the hourly rate of minimum wages so calculated shall be used to derive the minimum wages for the day.
• The cost of living allowance and the cash value of the concession in respect of essential commodities at concession rate shall be computed once before 1st April and then before 1st October in every year to revise the variable dearness allowance payable to the employees on the minimum wages considering the Average Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers published by the Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India
• The number of hours of work which shall constitute normal working day for an employee whose wage period is on a daily basis shall be eight hours and interval for rest shall be in accordance with notification issued in this regard under Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020
• An employee shall be allowed rest for one day in every week. An employee shall not be required or allowed to work on the rest day unless he is allowed a substituted rest day on one of the working days in a week immediately before or after the rest day.
• Chapter III states the provisions related to Floor Wages and the Manner to fix the floor wage.
• Chapter IV states the regulations regarding the Payment of Wages.
This shall come into force on May 08, 2026.
Please find the complete rules attached below.
[Notification No. G.S.R. 343(E)]
