By Saumya Verma
Assistant Professor of Law, Soundarya College of Law,
Bengaluru (Aff. KSLU, Hubbali), India;
saumyaverma@soundaryainstitutions.in
On February 11, 2026, the Lok Sabha introduced the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on February 12, 2026. The Industrial Relations Code, 2020, which entered effect on November 21, 2025, replaced three laws: the Trade Unions Act of 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act of 1946, and the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947. This Bill proposes to amend that code. The 2020 Code brought together laws about trade unions, working conditions in factories, and investigation and settlement of industrial disputes. This article gives a short overview of the Bill’s key points and glances at how they might affect different groups, such as employers, employees, trade unions, lawyers, and policymakers.
1. Clarification About the Repeal of Pre-Existing Laws
The Bill amends Section 104(1) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, to render it clear that the three Acts mentioned above (Trade Unions Act, 1926, Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and Industrial Disputes Act, 1947) are no longer in effect as of the date set in the notification under Section 1(3) of the Code i.e. November 21, 2025.
This is the only significant amendment that the Bill makes. It replaces the original language of Section 104(1), which let the Central Government announce repeals through notifications, with a direct declaration of repeal. The Statement of Objects and Reasons declare that even though the repeal happened automatically under the 2020 Code, there was a chance that people would be uncertain about whether this power was intentionally given to the executive. This bill intends to assist in removing any confusion and making sure that the law is unambiguous and continues to the same.
For employers and employees, this amendment bill makes the process clearer without altering any of their rights or duties that are provided under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020. It lowers the chance that people will litigate to challenge the validity of the repeals, which would be beneficial for the businesses because it makes industrial relations less legally uncertain.
For trade unions and workers, some opposition parties argued that the broader labour codes are detrimental for workers, but this specific change is neutral and technical. This amendment is more about housekeeping than implementing changes to policy. It doesn’t add any new risks or protections. It just strengthens the ones that are already there.
2. Savings Clauses and Retroactive Effect
Section 104 of the present bill has savings provisions that preserve ongoing actions, rights, and proceedings under the repealed laws so that it makes the transition from old laws to new labour codes smoother. In practice, this amendment is estimated to ensure proper disposal of ongoing disputes as well as effectively deal with the compliance issues. It implies that any cases which are still open under the pre-existing Acts are still legitimate, so there is no legal gap. Counsels who work on industrial disputes should keep this in mind so that courts and tribunals can be certain about their jurisdiction.
3. No Major Changes to Key Provisions
The Bill does not address things like fixed-term employment rules. It has no mention regarding how long it takes to resolve disputes, or what ‘supervisors’ or ‘workmen’ (which now is known as ‘employees’ under the 2020 Code) are. It also does not stipulate about the number of employees that need to be laid off or retrenched (300 employees under the 2020 Code). These parts are still the same as they were in the 2020 framework. The complete emphasis of this bill is on clarity so that to control any unintended adjudication that would challenge the 2020 Code’s validity, although it does not introduce new procedural efficiencies.
In conclusion, the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, 2026 is a narrow, technical law that confirms the repeal of old laws and makes the law more stable. There has been a lot of discussion about it because of the ongoing labour strikes and complaints that the 2020 Code is quite pro-business. However, its primary purpose is to stop interpretive disputes. Stakeholders ought to observe state-level implementations of the Code for more significant advancements.
References
- The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Bill No.33 of 2026 (India).
- The Hindu Bureau, ‘Lok Sabha Passes Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026’ (The Hindu, 12 February 2026) <https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lok-sabha-passes-industrial-relations-code-amendment-bill-2026/article70624877.ece> accessed 14 February 2026.
- Taxmann’s Editorial Board, New Labour Codes with Comparative Study of New Labour Codes and Old Labour Laws (Taxmann 2025).