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Industrial Relations Code, 2020 · CHAPTER IV — STANDING ORDERS

Section 28: Application of this Chapter

Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026

Section 28 — Governs application of this chapter and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: (1) The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.

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 provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to an industrial establishment in so far as the workers employed therein are persons to whom the Fundamental and Supplementary Rules, Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, Civil Services (Temporary Service) Rules, Revised Leave Rules, Civil Service Regulations, Civilians in Defence…

Provisos, explanations & qualifications

No proviso/explanation was separately extracted from this section text.

Thresholds and timelines in the text

Application of this Chapter.—(1) The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.

Actors expressly appearing in the text

Worker, Appropriate Government

Full statutory text — Section 28

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.

28. Application of this Chapter.—(1) The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial
establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were
employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.
   (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the provisions of this Chapter shall not
apply to an industrial establishment in so far as the workers employed therein are persons to whom the
Fundamental and Supplementary Rules, Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules,
Civil Services (Temporary Service) Rules, Revised Leave Rules, Civil Service Regulations, Civilians
in Defence Service (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules or the Indian Railway Establishment
Code or any other rules or regulations that may be notified in this behalf by the appropriate Government,
apply.

How to apply this provision

Primary statutory test — (1) The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.
Additional operative limb — (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to an industrial establishment in so far as the workers employed therein are persons to whom the Fundamental and Supplementary Rules, Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, Civil Services (Temporary Service) Rules, Revised Leave Rules, Civil Service Regulations, Civilians in Defence…
Numerical or timing control — Application of this Chapter.—(1) The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.
Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Worker, Appropriate Government.

Why this is section-specific: the operative-clause, exception, threshold and cross-reference panels above are extracted from Section 28 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

None expressly mapped in the current concordance.

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

When an event triggers application of this chapter, record the trigger date, competent authority, prescribed rule/form, filing or decision step, service/acknowledgement and final outcome. A statutory point to test is: “Application of this Chapter.—(1) The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.”

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 28

What does Section 28 of the Industrial Relations Code cover?

What is the main legal requirement or power in Section 28?

The first operative clause identified from the official text is: “(1) The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.” Read it with the remaining subsections and any proviso below.

Does Section 28 contain a proviso or explanation?

No standalone proviso or explanation was extracted from this section text. Check the full text below for clause-level qualifications.

What time limit, percentage or amount appears in Section 28?

The provision contains this numerical/time expression: “Application of this Chapter.—(1) The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.” Apply it only in the clause and context in which it appears.

Which 2026 Central Rules are linked to Section 28?

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 28 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.