Sections 1 and 69 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Section 1 of the Code on Wages, 2019 gives the Code its name, says it extends to the whole of India, and lets the Central Government bring it into force by notification, on different dates for different provisions. Section 69, the last section, repeals four older laws and saves what was done under them.
The Code (No. 29 of 2019) extends to the whole of India (s.1(2)). It comes into force on the date or dates the Central Government notifies, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions (s.1(3)). The Code is in force from 21 November 2025, when the four Labour Codes were brought into force. Section 69(1) repeals four Acts: the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. Things done under them are saved by s.69(2).
Section 1: title, extent and commencement
| Sub-section | What it says |
|---|---|
| s.1(1) | The Act may be called the Code on Wages, 2019 |
| s.1(2) | It extends to the whole of India |
| s.1(3) | It comes into force on the date the Central Government appoints by notification in the Official Gazette; different dates may be appointed for different provisions |
The Code received the assent of the President on 8 August 2019 and is numbered 29 of 2019. For nearly six years it stayed on paper because no date had been notified. The Code is in force from 21 November 2025, when the four Labour Codes were brought into force. If you are checking a particular provision for a later or different start date, confirm it from the Gazette notification, because s.1(3) allows the Centre to stagger commencement.
A second sentence in s.1(3) is easy to miss. Any reference inside a provision to "the commencement of this Code" is to be read as a reference to the coming into force of that provision. So if a section is brought into force on a later date than the rest, a time limit measured from commencement runs from that later date for that section.
For a high-level view of how the Code sits beside the other three, see our guide on the four Labour Codes.
Who must act on the Code
The Code applies to establishments, and the section that says which Government is the "appropriate Government" is s.2(d), explained in our article on the appropriate Government. In short, the Central Government is the appropriate Government for specified Central-sphere establishments (such as railways, mines, banking and Central public sector undertakings), and the State Government for any other establishment. This matters for rules: the Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 343(E), 8 May 2026) apply where the Central Government is the appropriate Government. Where the State Government is the appropriate Government, the State's own wage rules apply.
Employers who are still running payroll on the old compliance calendar, or who are unsure which Government governs their units, can get a check from our labour law compliance service.
Section 69(1): the four Acts repealed
Section 69(1) is one sentence. It repeals:
| Repealed Act | Year | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Payment of Wages Act | 1936 | Timely payment of wages and deductions |
| Minimum Wages Act | 1948 | Fixing and paying minimum wages |
| Payment of Bonus Act | 1965 | Annual bonus |
| Equal Remuneration Act | 1976 | Equal pay for men and women |
Exactly four Acts are repealed by this section. Other wage-related laws are not named in s.69(1). The Code's subject matter, wages and bonus, is a combination of the four repealed laws. You can see the old-law background in our guides on the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
Section 69(2): what is saved
The repeal does not wipe out everything done under the old laws. Under s.69(2), anything done or any action taken under the repealed enactments, including any notification, nomination, appointment, order or direction, or any amount of wages provided in any provision of such enactments for any purpose, is deemed to have been done, taken or provided for that purpose under the corresponding provisions of this Code. It stays in force:
- to the extent it is not contrary to the provisions of the Code; and
- till it is repealed under the corresponding provisions of the Code, or by a notification to that effect by the Central Government.
In practice this means a minimum wage notification issued under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 does not vanish on the day the Code starts. It continues as if issued under the Code, unless it conflicts with the Code, until it is replaced or withdrawn. The same applies to a nomination made under an old law for payment of dues, or an authority appointed under it. The text does not list which notifications survive. That is a question of fact for each notification, so check the notification and the Code section it corresponds to.
Where an old notification is "contrary" to the Code, the saving does not protect it. For example, an old rule on a matter that the Code now handles differently would not continue to the extent of the conflict.
Section 69(3): the General Clauses Act
Section 69(3) says that, without prejudice to s.69(2), section 6 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 applies to the repeal. That section deals in general terms with the effect of repeal. The Code does not restate it, so for rights accrued, liabilities incurred and proceedings begun under the old Acts, the 1897 Act's rule on repeals applies alongside s.69(2). Because this turns on facts such as when the violation or claim arose, take advice for any pending old-law case.
Practical points. List the notifications your establishment relies on and confirm whether each continues under s.69(2); check any pending old-law claim against s.69(3); and confirm the status of any provision that matters, since s.1(3) allows different dates.
Example. A manufacturer in a State had a minimum wage notification issued under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. After the Code is in force, that notification is treated as made under the corresponding provision of the Code and stays in force to the extent it is not contrary to the Code, until the State revises or repeals it. The manufacturer should still pay at least that notified rate and watch for a fresh notification under the Code.
Need help moving from the old wage laws to the Code?
Switching registers, notices and payroll rules from four old Acts to one Code is easier with a checklist matched to your establishment. Our labour law compliance team can map your existing notifications and records to the Code and tell you what to change.
Key takeaways
- The Code on Wages, 2019 extends to the whole of India (s.1(2)).
- It is in force from 21 November 2025, but s.1(3) allows different dates for different provisions.
- Section 69(1) repeals exactly four Acts: 1936, 1948, 1965 and 1976.
- Actions, notifications, nominations and orders under the old Acts are saved under s.69(2) to the extent not contrary to the Code.
- Section 6 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 also applies to the repeal (s.69(3)).
- Central Rules apply only where the Central Government is the appropriate Government.
Read next
- Section 2: appropriate Government, Advisory Board and Tribunal
- Section 5: payment of the minimum rate of wages
- Rules 1 and 2 of the Central Rules, 2026: short title, commencement and definitions
- Minimum wages under the new Labour Codes
Disclaimer: Based on the Code on Wages, 2019 (as enacted) and, where noted, the Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 343(E), 8 May 2026), as on 1 October 2026. The Code is in force from 21 November 2025; State Governments make their own rules for establishments where the State is the appropriate Government, and wage rates are notified separately. Verify the current position before acting.