(1) The employer shall prepare draft standing orders, within a period of six months from the date of commencement of this Code, based on the model standing orders referred to in section 29 in respect of the matters specified in the First Schedule and on any other matter considered necessary by him for incorporation of necessary provisions in such standing orders for his industrial establishment or undertaking, considering the nature of activity in his industrial establishment or undertaking, provided such provision is not inconsistent with any of the provision of this Code and covers every matters set out in the First Schedule.
(2) The employer shall consult the Trade Unions or recognised negotiating union or members of the negotiating council relating to the industrial establishment or undertaking, as the case may be, in respect of the draft of the standing order and thereafter forward the draft of the standing order electronically or otherwise to the certifying officer for certification.
(3) Where an employer adopts a model standing order of the Central Government referred to in section 29 with respect to matters relevant to his industrial establishment or undertaking, then, such model standing order shall be deemed to have been certified under the provisions of this section and employer shall forward the information in this regard to the concerned certifying officer in such manner as may be prescribed:
Provided that if the certifying officer has any observation, he may direct such employer to amend the standing order so adopted within such period as may be prescribed.
(4) The employer shall prepare the draft of the modifications required in the standing order, if any, in accordance with the provisions of this Code and forward electronically or otherwise to the certifying officer for certification of those modifications only within a period of six months from the date, the provisions of this Chapter becomes applicable to his industrial establishment.
(5) On receipt of the drafts referred to in sub-section (1) and sub-section (4), the certifying officer shall issue notice to—
(i) the Trade Union or negotiating union of the industrial establishment or undertaking, or members of the negotiating council; or
(ii) where there is no Trade Union operating, to such representatives of the workers of the industrial establishment or undertaking chosen in such manner as may be prescribed, for seeking their comments in the matter and after receipt of their comments give an opportunity of being heard to the negotiating union or negotiating council, or as the case may be, to the Trade Unions or the representatives of the workers and decide as to whether or not any modification or addition to such draft standing order is necessary to render the draft standing order certifiable, and shall make an order in writing in this regard:
Provided that the certifying officer shall complete such procedure for certification referred to in sub-sections (4) and (5) in respect of- (a) the draft standing order so received within a period of sixty days from the date of the receipt of it; and (b) the draft modifications in the standing order so received within a period of sixty days from the date of the receipt of such modifications, failing which such draft standing orders or, as the case may be, the modifications in the standing order shall be deemed to have been certified on the expiry of the said period.
(6) The standing orders shall be certifiable under this Code, if—
(a) provision is made therein for every matter set out in the First Schedule which is applicable to the industrial establishment; and
(b) such orders are otherwise in conformity with the provisions of this Code.
(7) It shall be the function of the certifying officer or the appellate authority referred to in section 32 to adjudicate upon the fairness or reasonableness of the provisions of any standing orders keeping in view the provisions of the model standing orders referred to in section 29.
(8) The certifying officer shall certify the draft standing orders or the modifications in the standing orders referred to in sub-section (5), and shall within seven days thereafter send copies of the certified standing orders or the modifications in the standing orders, authenticated in such manner as may be prescribed, to the employer and to the negotiating union or negotiating council or the Trade Union or other representatives of the workers referred to in clause (ii) of sub-section (5).
(9) The draft standing orders under sub-section (1) or draft of the modifications proposed in the standing orders under sub-section (5) shall be accompanied by a statement giving such particulars, as may be prescribed, of the workers employed in the industrial establishment, the Trade Union to which they belong, and the negotiating union or negotiating council, if any.
(10) Subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, a group of employers in similar establishments may submit a joint draft of standing orders under this section and for the purposes of proceedings specified in sub-sections (1), (5), (6), (8) and (9), the expressions "employer", "Trade Union" and "negotiating union or negotiating council" shall respectively include all the employers, Trade Unions and negotiating unions or negotiating council of such similar establishments, as the case may be.
(11) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this section, the standing orders relating to an industrial establishment or undertaking existing on the date of commencement of the relevant provisions of this Code, shall, in so far as is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Code or rules made thereunder, continue and be deemed to be the standing orders certified under sub-section (8) and accordingly the provisions of this Chapter shall apply thereon.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 30
Section 30 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 imposes a mandatory statutory obligation upon every employer of an establishment employing 300 or more workers to prepare and submit draft standing orders to the Certifying Officer within 6 months, following prior consultation with recognized Trade Unions or worker representatives.
Employers must not submit draft standing orders unilaterally. Convene a structured consultation session with the recognized negotiating union or worker representatives, record formal minutes detailing discussions on controversial clauses (e.g., probation duration, disciplinary penalties, transfer rules), and append the minutes to Form I. Failure to submit within the 6-month statutory deadline exposes the employer to penal prosecution under Section 86.