There are two broad categories of labour law.

First, collective labour law relates to the tripartite relationship between employee, employer and union. Second, individual labour law concerns employees' rights at work and through the contract for work. The law relating to labour and employment in India is primarily known under the broad category of "Industrial Law". The prevailing social and economic conditions have been largely influential in shaping the Indian labour legislation, which regulate various aspects of work such as the number of hours of work, wages, social security and facilities provided. The relevance of the dignity of human labour and the need for protecting and safeguarding the interest of labour as human beings has been enshrined in ChapterIII (Articles 16, 19, 23 & 24) and Chapter IV(Articles 39, 41, 42, 43, 43A & 54) of the Constitution of India keeping in line with Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy These include right to work of ones choice, right against discrimination, prohibition of child labour, just and humane conditions of work, social security, protection of wages, redress of grievances, right to organize and form trade unions, collective bargaining and participation in management
Labour legislations have also been shaped and influenced by the recommendations of the various National Committees and Commissions such as First National Commission on Labour (1969) under the Chairmanship of Justice Gajendragadkar, National Commission on Rural Labour (1991), Second National Commission on Labour (2002) under the Chairmanship of Shri Ravindra Varma etc. and judicial pronouncements on labour related matters specifically pertaining to minimum wages, bonded labour, child labour, contract labour etc

The legislations can be categorized as follows:

(a) Labour laws enacted by the Central Government, where the Central Government has the sole responsibility for enforcement 1. The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 2. The Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act,1952 3. The Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986 4. The Mines Act, 1952 5. The Iron Ore Mines, Manganese Ore Mines and Chrome Ore Mines Labour Welfare (Cess) Act, 1976 6. The Iron Ore Mines, Manganese Ore Mines and Chrome Ore Mines Labor Welfare Fund Act, 1976 7. The Mica Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1946 8. The Beedi Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1976 9. The Limestone and Dolomite Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1972 10. The Cine Workers Welfare (Cess) Act, 1981 11. The Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976 12. The Cine Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981 (b) Labour laws enacted by Central Government and enforced both by Central and State Governments
1. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. 2. The Building and Other Constructions Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996. 3. The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970. 4. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. 5. The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 6. The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. 7. The InterState Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. 8. The Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Act, 1988 9. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 10.The Minimum Wages Act, 1948 11.The Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 12.The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 13.The Payment of Wages Act, 1936

14.The Cine Workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1981 15. The Building and Other Construction Workers Cess Act, 1996 16.The Apprentices Act, 1961 17.Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008 18.Working Journalists (Fixation of Rates of Wages Act, 1958 19.Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 20.Sales Promotion Employees Act, 1976 21.Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Act, 1983 22.Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1948 23.Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) (Inapplicability to Major Ports) Act, 1997 24.Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005

(c) Labour laws enacted by Central Government and enforced by the State Governments 1. The Employers Liability Act, 1938
2. The Factories Act, 1948 3. The Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 4. The Personal Injuries (Compensation Insurance) Act, 1963 5. The Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1962 6. The Plantation Labour Act, 1951 7. The Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976 8. The Trade Unions Act, 1926 9. The Weekly Holidays Act, 1942 10.The Working Journalists and Other Newspapers Employees (Conditions of Service) and 11.Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 12.The Workmens Compensation Act, 1923 13.The Employment Exchange (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959 14.The Children (Pledging of Labour) Act 1938 15.The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 16.The Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 Classification of LABOUR LAWS in India Labour Laws may be classified under the following heads: I. Laws related to Industrial Relations such as: 1. Trade Unions Act, 1926 2. Industrial Employment Standing Order Act, 1946. 3. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. II. Laws related to Wages such as: 4. Payment of Wages Act, 1936 5. Minimum Wages Act, 1948 6. Payment of Bonus Act, 1965.

7. Working Journalists (Fixation of Rates of Wages Act, 1958 III. Laws related to Working Hours, Conditions of Service and Employment such as: 8. Factories Act, 1948. 9. Plantation Labour Act, 1951. 10. Mines Act, 1952. 11. Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service and Misc. Provisions) Act, 1955. 12. Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. 13. Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961. 14. Beedi & Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966. 15. Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970. 16. Sales Promotion Employees Act, 1976. 17. InterState Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. 18. Dock Workers (Safety, Health & Welfare) Act, 1986. 19. Building & Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Service) Act, 1996. 20. Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996 21. CineWorkers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1981 22. Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Act, 1983 23. Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1948 24. Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) (Inapplicability to Major Ports)Act, 1997 25. Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 26. Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 27. Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation Act, 1957 28. Plantation Labour Act, 1951 29. Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005 IV. Laws related to Equality and Empowerment of Women such as: 30. Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 31. Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. V. Laws related to Deprived and Disadvantaged Sections of the Society such as: 32. Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 33. Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 34. Children (Pledging of Labour) Act, 1933 VI. Laws related to Social Security such as: 35. Workmens Compensation Act, 1923. 36. Employees State Insurance Act, 1948. 37. Employees Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. 38. Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. 39. Employers Liability Act, 1938

40. Beedi Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1976 41. Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976 42. Cine workers Welfare Cess Act, 1981 43. Cine Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981 44. Fatal Accidents Act, 1855 45. Iron Ore Mines, Manganese Ore Mines and Chrome Ore Mines Labour Welfare Cess Act, 1976 46. Iron Ore Mines, Manganese Ore Mines and Chrome Ore Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1976 47. Limestone and Dolomite Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1972 48. Mica Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1946 49. Personal Injuries (Compensation Insurance) Act, 1963 50. Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1962 51. Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008