Rajasthan Govt Implements New Wage Rules, Caps Work Week At 48 Hours

Jaipur: For transparent determination of minimum wages and standardized working hours, the Rajasthan government has implemented the Code on Wages (Rajasthan) Rules.

The rules provide for a scientific formula, coupled with a skill-based classification system, to minimum wages. Dearness Allowance (DA) will be linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and revised twice annually, on April 1 and October 1, ensuring that wages remain aligned with inflation.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Jogaram Patel, said that the Cabinet has approved the Code on Wages (Rajasthan) Rules, 2026, aimed at safeguarding workers' interests and welfare while ensuring the orderly functioning of commercial and industrial establishments across the state.

The rules also prescribe standard working hours, mandatory rest intervals, and adequate safeguards for employees working night shifts.

As per rules, a maximum of 48 working hours per week has been prescribed. Under a six-day work week, the total working period, including rest intervals, shall not exceed 10.5 hours per day, while the seventh day shall be a paid weekly holiday. Employees will be entitled to a 30-minute rest break after every five consecutive hours of work.

The rules provide that employees required to work on weekly holidays shall be paid overtime wages in accordance with the prescribed rates. Employers will also be required to issue wage slips, while the rules clearly specify permissible statutory deductions from wages and provide for the maintenance of digital registers.

In addition to this, the state cabinet has also cleared the Rajasthan Industrial Relations Rules, aimed at simplifying and modernizing the state's labor administration framework.

Under the new rules, all labor compliance procedures and dispute-related grievances will be shifted entirely to online platforms. Defined timelines have been prescribed for the expeditious resolution of industrial disputes, while the election of negotiating trade unions will be conducted through a mandatory secret ballot system to ensure fairness and transparency.

The rules also provide clear guidelines regarding the constitution and functioning of Works Committees and workplace grievance redressal mechanisms. In addition, legal procedures and prescribed forms relating to the retrenchment of employees and the closure of industrial establishments have been simplified and made more transparent to enhance the ease of doing business.