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Industrial Relations Code, 2020 · CHAPTER III — TRADE UNIONS

Section 9: Registration of Trade Union and cancellation thereof

Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 11 September 2026

2-minute answer

Industrial Relations Code Section 9: Registration of Trade Union and cancellation thereof. Full official text, provision analysis, 2026 rule links, examples

Current-law check: The four Labour Codes commenced on 21 November 2025. For 2026 compliance, read the relevant Code with the final Central Rules and the applicable State rules/notifications; legacy Acts remain relevant to historical periods and savings.

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Identify the establishment/worker coverage
Check the Code, Central Rule and State Rule together
Map notice, approval or filing responsibility
Preserve service, payroll and authority evidence

Practical control

Separate historical entitlement under repealed legislation from current Code compliance. Record the event date, establishment coverage and applicable Central/State instrument.

Official / primary sources

Related Finin2min guidance

Reviewed for currentness, usability and source quality on 11 September 2026. Where an official source changes after this date, the official source prevails.

Section 9 — Sets the statutory registration framework for registration of trade union and cancellation thereof, including who must comply and the conditions stated in the provision. Key operative text: (1) The Registrar shall, on being satisfied that the Trade Union has complied with all the requirements of the provisions of this Chapter in regard to registration, register the Trade Union by entering in a register, to be…

Full official textSource checked: 20 August 20260 direct Central Rule link(s)

Current-law status

All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5320(E); use the current India Code consolidation because the Code also reflects the 2026 amendment/transition framework.

Primary sources

Provision / India Code ↗ · Official Act PDF ↗ · 2026 Central Rules ↗

Finin2min analysis — what the section actually does

Operative clauses

(1) The Registrar shall, on being satisfied that the Trade Union has complied with all the requirements of the provisions of this Chapter in regard to registration, register the Trade Union by entering in a register, to be maintained in such form as may be prescribed, the particulars relating to the Trade Union contained in the statement accompanying the application for registration.
(2) Where the Registrar makes an order for registration of a Trade Union, he shall issue a certificate of registration to the applicant Trade Union, in such form as may be prescribed, which shall be the conclusive evidence that the Trade Union has been registered under this Code.
(3) If the Registrar has issued a certificate of registration to a Trade Union, he shall enter the name and other particulars of the Trade Union in a register maintained in this behalf in such form as may be prescribed.
(4) Every Trade Union registered under the Trade Unions Act, 1926 having valid registration immediately before the commencement of this Code shall be deemed to have been registered under this Code:
Provided that such Trade Union shall file with the Registrar a statement that the constitution of the executive of the Trade Union is in accordance with this Code along with the rules of the Trade Union updated in accordance with section 7, and the Registrar shall amend his records accordingly.

Provisos, explanations & qualifications

Provided that such Trade Union shall file with the Registrar a statement that the constitution of the executive of the Trade Union is in accordance with this Code along with the rules of the Trade Union updated in accordance with section 7, and the Registrar shall amend his records accordingly.
Provided that not less than sixty days previous notice in writing specifying the grounds on which it is proposed to cancel the certificate of registration of a Trade Union shall be given by the Registrar to the Trade Union before the certificate of registration is cancelled otherwise than on the application of the Trade Union.

Thresholds and timelines in the text

(5) The certificate of registration of a Trade Union may be withdrawn or cancelled by the Registrar,— (i) on the application of the Trade Union verified in such manner as may be prescribed; or (ii) on the information received by him regarding the contravention by the Trade Union of the provisions of this Code or the rules made thereunder or its…
Provided that not less than sixty days previous notice in writing specifying the grounds on which it is proposed to cancel the certificate of registration of a Trade Union shall be given by the Registrar to the Trade Union before the certificate of registration is cancelled otherwise than on the application of the Trade Union.

Actors expressly appearing in the text

Worker, Trade union, Tribunal

Full statutory text — Section 9

Official English text transcribed from the current India Code consolidation; page headers/line breaks are normalised for web reading. The Gazette/India Code PDF remains authoritative for typography, amendment footnotes and schedules.

9. Registration of Trade Union and cancellation thereof.—(1) The Registrar shall, on being
satisfied that the Trade Union has complied with all the requirements of the provisions of this Chapter
in regard to registration, register the Trade Union by entering in a register, to be maintained in such
form as may be prescribed, the particulars relating to the Trade Union contained in the statement
accompanying the application for registration.
   (2) Where the Registrar makes an order for registration of a Trade Union, he shall issue a certificate
of registration to the applicant Trade Union, in such form as may be prescribed, which shall be the
conclusive evidence that the Trade Union has been registered under this Code.
   (3) If the Registrar has issued a certificate of registration to a Trade Union, he shall enter the name
and other particulars of the Trade Union in a register maintained in this behalf in such form as may be
prescribed.
  (4) Every Trade Union registered under the Trade Unions Act, 1926 having valid registration
immediately before the commencement of this Code shall be deemed to have been registered under this
Code:
   Provided that such Trade Union shall file with the Registrar a statement that the constitution of the
executive of the Trade Union is in accordance with this Code along with the rules of the Trade Union
updated in accordance with section 7, and the Registrar shall amend his records accordingly.
  (5) The certificate of registration of a Trade Union may be withdrawn or cancelled by the
Registrar,—
        (i) on the application of the Trade Union verified in such manner as may be prescribed; or
       (ii) on the information received by him regarding the contravention by the Trade Union of the
   provisions of this Code or the rules made thereunder or its constitution or rules; or

        (iii) if he is satisfied that the members in a Trade Union falls below ten per cent. of total workers
   or one hundred workers, whichever is less:
    Provided that not less than sixty days previous notice in writing specifying the grounds on which it
is proposed to cancel the certificate of registration of a Trade Union shall be given by the Registrar to
the Trade Union before the certificate of registration is cancelled otherwise than on the application of
the Trade Union.
   (6) A certificate of registration of a Trade Union shall be cancelled by the Registrar where a Tribunal
has made an order for cancellation of registration of such Trade Union.
   (7) While cancelling the certificate of registration of a Trade Union, the Registrar shall record the
reasons for doing so and communicate the same in writing to the Trade Union concerned.

How to apply this provision

Primary statutory test — (1) The Registrar shall, on being satisfied that the Trade Union has complied with all the requirements of the provisions of this Chapter in regard to registration, register the Trade Union by entering in a register, to be maintained in such form as may be prescribed, the particulars relating to the Trade Union contained in the statement accompanying the application for registration.
Additional operative limb — (2) Where the Registrar makes an order for registration of a Trade Union, he shall issue a certificate of registration to the applicant Trade Union, in such form as may be prescribed, which shall be the conclusive evidence that the Trade Union has been registered under this Code.
Qualification / exception to test — Provided that such Trade Union shall file with the Registrar a statement that the constitution of the executive of the Trade Union is in accordance with this Code along with the rules of the Trade Union updated in accordance with section 7, and the Registrar shall amend his records accordingly.
Numerical or timing control — (5) The certificate of registration of a Trade Union may be withdrawn or cancelled by the Registrar,— (i) on the application of the Trade Union verified in such manner as may be prescribed; or (ii) on the information received by him regarding the contravention by the Trade Union of the provisions of this Code or the rules made thereunder or its…
Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Worker, Trade union, Tribunal.

Why this is section-specific: the operative-clause, exception, threshold and cross-reference panels above are extracted from Section 9 itself rather than a generic “trigger/control/evidence” template.

Rules, forms and cross-references

Direct 2026 Central Rule mapping

None expressly mapped in the current concordance.

Forms mapped

No prescribed form is directly mapped in the current concordance.

Other sections cited in this text

Section 7

Related Labour Hub resources

Model Standing Orders, 2026 Labour litigation

A direct concordance is not exhaustive. Central/State jurisdiction, schemes, authority appointments, saved instruments and later notifications may change the practical route without changing the section wording.

Worked example

Suppose an industrial establishment reaches a step governed by registration of trade union and cancellation thereof. HR/IR should create a dated file showing coverage, the competent authority/union status, required notice or application, service proof and the result. One operative text point to test is: “(5) The certificate of registration of a Trade Union may be withdrawn or cancelled by the Registrar,— (i) on the application of the Trade Union verified in such manner as may be prescribed; or (ii) on the information received by him regarding the contravention by the Trade Union ” Also test the express qualification/proviso before concluding the result.

Illustration only; it is not statutory text or a substitute for applying the actual facts, jurisdiction, current rule/scheme and official instrument.

Q&A — Section 9

What does Section 9 of the Industrial Relations Code cover?

What is the main legal requirement or power in Section 9?

The first operative clause identified from the official text is: “(1) The Registrar shall, on being satisfied that the Trade Union has complied with all the requirements of the provisions of this Chapter in regard to registration, register the Trade Union by entering in a register, to be maintained in such form as may be prescribed, the particulars relating to the Trade Union contained in the statement accompanying the application for registration.” Read it with the remaining subsections and any proviso below.

Does Section 9 contain a proviso or explanation?

Yes. A qualification extracted from the official text is: “Provided that such Trade Union shall file with the Registrar a statement that the constitution of the executive of the Trade Union is in accordance with this Code along with the rules of the Trade Union updated in accordance with section 7, and the Registrar shall amend his records accordingly.”

What time limit, percentage or amount appears in Section 9?

The provision contains this numerical/time expression: “(5) The certificate of registration of a Trade Union may be withdrawn or cancelled by the Registrar,— (i) on the application of the Trade Union verified in such manner as may be prescribed; or (ii) on the information received by him regarding the contravention by the Trade Union of the provisions of this Code or the rules made thereunder or its…” Apply it only in the clause and context in which it appears.

Which 2026 Central Rules are linked to Section 9?

No direct Central Rule is recorded in the current concordance. That does not exclude a relevant scheme, notification, State rule or enabling provision.

Is Section 9 currently operative?

All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5320(E); use the current India Code consolidation because the Code also reflects the 2026 amendment/transition framework.

Source & verification trail

Act: Industrial Relations Code, 2020 — official India Code PDF ↗

Central Rules: Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026 — G.S.R. 342(E), 8 May 2026 ↗

Official library: Ministry of Labour & Employment — Labour Codes ↗

Source check: 20 August 2026. Individual professional interpretation should be re-reviewed when the section, rules, notification, scheme, State overlay or controlling judgment changes.

Reliance note: This page is an educational legal-reference layer. Verify the current official text, the applicable Central/State rules, notifications, schemes and judicial decisions before acting on a live matter.