SUPREME COURT PASSES DIRECTION REGARDING PAYMENT OF WAGES DURING LOCKDOWN

SUPREME COURT PASSES DIRECTION REGARDING PAYMENT OF WAGES DURING LOCKDOWN

–Aakanksha Bhatia

Companies and their employees are struggling to crank up operations as some of them were totally locked down, some of them were working with half of the labor, and some were dependent on work from home. The Supreme Court on Friday, June 12, 2020, passed the following interim directions relating to the payment of wages during the national lockdown amid the pandemic situation from COVID-19.

The private companies, industries, who are willing to negotiate or enter into a settlement with their employees or workers specifically regarding the payment of their wages for 50 days or any other period during which the company was under lockdown may initiate the process of negotiation or settlement if both the parties agree to it and if in the case they are unable to settle it by themselves, they may submit a request to the labor authorities who are entrusted to clear out the disputes between the parties on receiving such requests, they can also call the concerned trade unions/ worker’s association for that matter to appear on a date for conciliation.

The Supreme court also said that such industries, factories, companies shall allow their workers if they are willing to work which may be without prejudice to rights of the workers/employees regarding unpaid wages of above 50 days and shall also publicize and communicate the same to their workers and employees for their response regarding the settlement.

Lastly, they said that the Central Government, all the states/UTs through their ministry should circulate the order for the benefit of all the private establishments, employers, and the employees.