Goa has notified new labour rules for factories and businesses across the state.
The rules ask larger workplaces to set up committees that hear worker complaints.
The Department of Labour has notified two sets of rules.
These are the Industrial Relations (Goa) Rules, 2026, and the Goa Social Security Rules, 2026.
Together, they bring key parts of the central labour framework into effect.
The rules cover workplace grievances, industrial disputes, trade union recognition, retrenchment and worker re-skilling.
Retrenchment means a worker losing a job when an employer cuts staff.
Key points
- Workplaces with at least 20 workers must set up grievance committees.
- Employers must deposit Rs 15,000 for funeral costs after a workplace death.
- Retrenched workers will get 15 days of last wages through a government fund.
- Digital reporting will be introduced for public and private employers.
Who must set up grievance committees?
Establishments with at least 20 workers must form grievance redressal committees.
Each committee can have no more than 10 members.
Manesh Hari Kedar, under secretary in the labour department, said employers and workers must have equal representation on these committees.
Women must be represented in proportion to their share of the workforce.
Workers can file formal grievances within one year of the cause arising.
What happens if a worker dies in a workplace accident?
If an employee dies because of a workplace injury, the employer must deposit Rs 15,000 with the competent authority.
This money is for funeral expenses.
This payment is separate from any compensation given to the employee's family.
The government may increase the amount in future.
The deposit will be paid to the eldest surviving dependent of the employee.
What happens next for retrenched workers?
When a worker is retrenched, the employer must deposit 15 days of the worker's last drawn wages.
This must be paid into a government-maintained re-skilling fund within 10 days.
The government must then transfer the amount directly into the worker's account within 45 days of receiving it.
- 1Employer deposits wagesEmployer deposits 15 days of the worker's last drawn wages.
- 2Deposit into re-skilling fundThe amount must be paid into a government-maintained re-skilling fund within 10 days.
- 3Transfer to worker's accountGovernment transfers the amount directly into the worker's account within 45 days of receiving it.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
The rules also set up women's representation on the Goa Unorganised Workers Social Security Board.
The next steps include forming grievance committees, making the deposits and rolling out the digital reporting system.
Explainer
What happened before
- The Department of Labour has notified the Industrial Relations (Goa) Rules, 2026, and the Goa Social Security Rules, 2026.
- The rules bring key parts of the central labour framework into effect across commercial and industrial workplaces in Goa.
Why it matters
The rules set new duties for employers on workplace complaints, funeral costs and job loss support, which affect many workers in the state.
What to watch next
- Employers must set up grievance committees, make the required deposits and use the new digital reporting system as it is rolled out.
