Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

Shankar Shetty was engaged as a daily wager by the appellants from 1978 and worked intermittently for about seven years before being terminated in 1985. He claimed that his termination violated Section 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which prescribes a procedure for retrenchment of daily wagers. The Labour Co…

The appellant, a driver employed by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation, was found colour‑blind during a routine medical check and was retired on medical grounds without being offered an alternative post. He claimed entitlement to redeployment under Clause 14 of a 1979 Memorandum of Settlement (MOS) executed…

The Ernakulam Regional Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd. issued a 2011 notification for regular recruitment of Plant Attender, Grade‑III, prompting several workers to claim they were casual labourers who had served over 240 days in the preceding year and thus were entitled to regularisation under the Industrial Dis…

Kalawati Pandurang Fulzele was appointed by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) as a sweeper on a contractual basis with a fixed honorarium of Rs 500 per month and served for about four years before being terminated in August 1994. She filed a complaint alleging that her termination violated Sectio…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal by the employer, Asst. Engineer, Rajasthan Development Corp., against a Labour Court award that ordered reinstatement of a daily‑wage workman, Gitam Singh, with continuity of service and 25% back wages after his termination was held to violate Section 25‑F of the Industrial Disputes…

The respondent, Ghanshyam Sharma, worked as a casual helper for Management, Hindustan Machine Tools Ltd. from 10 June 1976 to 30 July 1977 and was terminated by an oral order on 31 July 1977. The termination gave rise to an industrial dispute that was referred to the Labour Court, which awarded reinstatement with conti…

The appellants were employees of a government undertaking who were laid off and later transferred to another company. The Government of Andhra Pradesh issued a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) offering a special compensation package, which the appellants accepted, but the VRS did not provide for lay‑off compensation. …

The Maharashtra State Cooperative Housing Finance Corporation, a cooperative society, dismissed its employee Prabhakar Sitaram Bhadange for alleged misconduct. Bhadange challenged the dismissal before the Cooperative Court, which the corporation contested on the ground that the Court lacked jurisdiction under Section 9…

K. Suri Babu, a helper (workman) employed by Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad, was alleged to have submitted a forged Class VI certificate and disciplinary action was initiated under the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965 (CCA Rules). The respondent contended that, as a workman, disc…

Amar Chakravarty and other workmen were dismissed by Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. on allegations of grave misconduct without being afforded a domestic enquiry. The workmen raised an industrial dispute, which was referred to the Labour Court under Section 10(1)(c) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Labour Court initi…

The State of Haryana issued notifications under Section 5(2) of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 fixing and revising minimum rates of wages, including provisions that classified unskilled workers as semi‑skilled after a certain period of experience, prohibited segregation of wages into allowances, included security staff as…

The appellant, Ariane Orgachem Pvt. Ltd., took over the Wyeth Ltd. pharmaceutical factory and its workers under s.25FF of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. It later introduced a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) which 45 of the 143 workers accepted. The Wyeth Employees Union later demanded reinstatement of those worke…

Sunil Kumar Biswas and four other employees had worked for the Ordinance Factory Board for 25 years and sought regularisation of their services. They filed an original application before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which dismissed their claim, leading them to file a writ petition in the Calcutta High Cou…

The case arose from FIR No. 60/2017 alleging wrongful confinement, trafficking and conspiracy against Ajay Malik for employing a tribal domestic worker. Malik sought quashing of the criminal proceedings and compounding of the offences, supported by a no‑objection affidavit from the complainant, while the State opposed …

The respondent, a daily‑wage peon‑cum‑driver employed by the Gujarat Panchayat Department, was terminated in February 1992. He challenged the termination in both a civil suit and an industrial reference before the Labour Court, which held that the termination violated Section 25‑G of the Industrial Disputes Act and ord…

The respondent, a hospital employee, challenged his superannuation order by filing a writ petition under Article 226 against Ramakrishna Mission and its hospital, alleging that the institution was a 'State' within Art.12 and thus amenable to writ jurisdiction. The High Court initially held the Mission to be a State and…

Tapash Kumar Paul, a workman employed by BSNL, was terminated in violation of Section 25‑F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Central Government Industrial Tribunal ordered his reinstatement but awarded only Rs 20,000 as compensation for back wages because the management failed to produce records of his actual d…

The appellants, daily‑wage non‑teaching staff of Sree Sankaracharya University, were regularised in 1996 and de‑regularised in 1997, leading to their termination. The University argued that the appointments were irregular and therefore fell outside the protection of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Industrial Tri…

The respondent, a supervisor at New Victoria Mills, applied for the Modified Voluntary Retirement Scheme (MVRS) by submitting a resignation on 12 July 2002. He later requested that his resignation be kept suspended until his provident fund dues were cleared, but the employer accepted his resignation on 28 May 2003, sim…

Thermax Ltd. entered into purchase orders with K.M. Johny’s firms for storage tanks and consumables. The contracts fell apart and Johny alleged non‑payment of large sums, filing three earlier complaints that were closed as civil matters. In 2002 he lodged another complaint before a magistrate alleging offences under Se…

The case concerned claims by thousands of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) workers who had been employed as temporary, badli or part‑time staff between 20 May 1985 and 4 March 1991, seeking regularisation (absorption) under the Srivastav Award and earlier Tulpule and Jamdar Awards. The Supreme Court examined w…

Workmen employed as safai kamdars by Umralagram Gram Panchayat were classified as daily‑wage workers despite having served for periods ranging from five to eighteen years and performing the same duties and hours as permanent employees. They raised an industrial dispute seeking permanency and associated benefits. The La…

The appellants, employees of a canteen operating in the Steel Club of Bhilai Steel Plant, challenged their dismissal under Section 58 of the Madhya Pradesh Shops and Establishments Act, 1958, arguing that the Act applied to the club. The respondents contended that the club was a "club not being a residential club" and …

Caparo Engineering India Ltd. transferred nine long‑serving workmen from its Dewas plant to a Chopanki facility 900 km away, changing their roles from labourers to supervisors and reducing the workforce at Dewas. The workmen contended that the transfer violated Section 9A of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 because it…

Arbind, a headmaster, was suspended pending a departmental enquiry and was required to remain at the headquarters. His salary and subsistence allowance were not paid, forcing him to leave the headquarters due to poverty, after which he missed the enquiry and was dismissed ex‑parte. He challenged the dismissal; the High…

The Nashik Workers Union filed several complaints under the Maharashtra Recognition of Trade Unions and Prevention of Unfair Labour Practices Act, 1971 seeking reinstatement and back wages for trainees of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The dispute turned on whether, for HAL, the "appropriate Government" under Sec…

The Bharatiya Kamgar Karmachari Mahasangh (union) represented 169 workmen employed by Jet Airways on fixed‑term contracts who had each completed more than 240 days of service. The union claimed that under the Bombay Model Standing Order the workmen should be deemed permanent, but the airline relied on a 2002 settlement…

The appellants, Ram Gopal Dwivedi and others, were engaged as apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961 by Kanpur Electricity Supply Co. Ltd. (a unit of the U.P. State Electricity Board) and their services were terminated after completing a three‑year training period. The Labour Court held the termination illegal, or…

Bhuvnesh Kumar Dwivedi was employed by Hindalco Industries Ltd as a labour supervisor from 30‑12‑1992 to 27‑07‑1998. Although the employer periodically terminated his service on the pretext of "sanction expired" and re‑appointed him on short contracts, the workman rendered continuous service of nearly six years. The La…

Sri Ram Builders entered into a BOT agreement with the Madhya Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (MPRTC) to construct a bus‑stand‑cum‑commercial complex on land leased by the Indore Development Authority (IDA). The High Court ordered MPRTC to hand over possession of the land and directed specific performance, but the o…

Mackinnon Mackenzie & Co. Ltd. retrenched about 98 workmen by serving a notice on 27 July 1992, claiming closure of its clearing and forwarding department due to severe financial losses. The workmen’s union challenged the retrenchment, alleging non‑compliance with the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947: no one‑month notice …

The appellant, a driver for the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, travelled on a corporation bus without a ticket and subsequently abused and threatened the checking inspector, repeating similar misconduct the next day. A disciplinary enquiry found the misconduct proved, taking into account his prior rec…

Kitab Singh, a workman employed by Atlas Cycle (Haryana) Ltd. since 1977, alleged that he was assaulted and forced to resign on 1 October 1992 after being accused of theft. He wrote to the Chief Minister and sent a notice to the company, claiming the resignation was not voluntary. The Labour Court dismissed his claim, …

The appellant, a watchman employed since 1992, was terminated in 2002 without notice or compliance with the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. He claimed continuous service under Section 25B and sought reinstatement; the Labour Court and a Single Judge affirmed his right to reinstatement but denied backwages. The Division …

The Globe Ground India Employees Union raised an industrial dispute alleging that Globe Ground India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Lufthansa German Airlines, closed its establishment and retrenched 106 workers. The union sought to implead Lufthansa, claiming it was the holding company and therefore a necessary and proper pa…

The employee Rajeshwar Mahto was terminated by Birla Corporation Ltd. and challenged the termination before an Industrial Tribunal, which held he was not a "workman". The High Court set aside that award, declaring him a workman, but the Supreme Court later allowed the corporation's appeal, reinstating the tribunal's de…

The Bihar Hill Area Lift Irrigation Corporation (BHALCO), a government company of Bihar, was transferred to the newly created Jharkhand Hill Area Lift Irrigation Corporation (JHALCO) after the bifurcation of Bihar under the Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000. Employees of the erstwhile BHALCO filed writ petitions seeking a…

The management of Sri Dora Raj Spintax dismissed thirty‑one workmen after initiating disciplinary proceedings for alleged vandalism, while conciliation proceedings were pending on two separate industrial disputes raised by the workmen. The workmen claimed that the dismissals required prior permission under Section 33(1…

Three union officials, declared as protected workmen, were dismissed after the employer alleged they had filed a false police complaint against senior officers. The criminal court had acquitted the officers, and the employer issued a charge‑sheet without conducting a departmental inquiry, relying on the magistrate's ju…

The respondents, who were daily‑wage workers such as plantation watchmen, wireless operators and helpers, claimed regularisation of service after more than ten years of continuous employment. The State of Karnataka contended that the respondents were not recruited under the prescribed recruitment rules and that the reg…

Eighty‑eight workmen employed as Tyndals at Kenduadih Colliery of BCCL sought regularisation. The Industrial Tribunal (1996) ordered their absorption within a year, and the Jharkhand High Court (2004) modified the award, directing that whenever the management hires regular workmen, preference must be given to these wor…

The ESIC Medical Officer's Association, representing medical officers recruited by the Employees' State Insurance Corporation after 1974, claimed a monthly allowance of Rs.200, arguing that they were workmen like deputed doctors and thus entitled to the same benefits. The Central Government Industrial Tribunal held tha…

The employee, Lenin Kumar Ray, was appointed as Junior Engineer and later promoted to Assistant Engineer in a newspaper publishing company, drawing a salary well above the pre‑amendment threshold of Rs.1,600 per month. He was relieved on 8 October 2003 with payment of one month’s salary in lieu of notice, which he acce…

The State of Maharashtra terminated the services of 256 workmen employed on 25 lift‑irrigation schemes after transferring the schemes to a sugar factory. The workmen claimed entitlement to reinstatement and backwages, arguing that the termination was a breach of Section 25N of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, while t…

The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) sought contribution from Mangalam Publications, a private limited company, for interim relief payments made to its employees between April 1996 and March 2000. The company argued that the interim relief was an ex‑gratia payment, not "wages" under Section 2(22) of the Em…

The appellant workmen sought priority over the sale proceeds of unsecured assets of UMI Special Steels Ltd., arguing that under Sections 529 and 529A of the Companies Act, 1956, workmen's dues should rank ahead of secured creditors on those assets. The respondents, representing the secured creditors, contended that the…

Jayantibhai Patel, a headmaster, was first cleared of misconduct in 1994 but a second inquiry—conducted without recorded reasons—found him guilty and led to his removal in 1996. The High Court later quashed the removal but denied back wages, reasoning that Patel had retired. The Supreme Court held that when service is …

The petitioners challenged the cancellation of their appointments and termination of service on the ground that they had either omitted or misrepresented information about criminal prosecutions, arrests, convictions or pendency of cases in the verification forms required for recruitment. The Supreme Court was asked to …

The Supreme Court examined public‑interest petitions concerning illegal iron‑ore mining in Goa, the validity of the Justice Shah Commission report, and the status of mining leases deemed to have arisen from pre‑1961 Portuguese concessions. It held that the Commission’s report could not be quashed for procedural lapses,…

The employee M.L. Singla was dismissed by Punjab National Bank after a domestic enquiry that found him guilty of consuming liquor on duty and causing a cash shortage. He challenged the dismissal before the Labour Court, which set aside the dismissal and awarded 50% back wages, but the High Court reversed that award and…

The State of Jharkhand's Public Health and Engineering Department dismissed 37 daily‑wage employees, prompting a reference under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act to the Labour Court, which set aside the dismissals, ordered reinstatement and directed payment of full back wages. The employer challenged this awar…

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) employed 955 workers at its Chennai branch and disputed whether they were its employees or contract labourers hired through a cooperative society. The workers' union claimed they were permanent employees entitled to regularisation under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The matter w…

The appellants, who worked as clerical staff in the premises of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) since 1997, filed writ petitions seeking regularisation and absorption as FCI employees. FCI contended that the appellants were appointed by the Head Load Workers Co‑operative Society and not by FCI, thus no employer‑emp…

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) was directed by an Industrial Tribunal in Chennai to regularise its workers after abolishing the contract labour system, an award that the Supreme Court later upheld. The workers' union filed writ petitions seeking a mandamus to extend the same regularisation benefits to employees wo…

India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., the management of a manufacturing unit, challenged the competence of 113 workmen to be represented before the Industrial Tribunal by five elected workmen. The dispute centered on whether Section 6‑1 of the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and Rule 40 of the Uttar Pradesh Industr…

The Currency Note Press, a government-owned corporation, was sued by 17 former employees who claimed overtime wages for work done between 1986 and 1990 under Section 33-C(2) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Labour Court dismissed their applications, but the Bombay High Court set aside that order and granted th…

The case concerned a claim by Smt. Sureshwati that her services as a clerk/assistant teacher in a private school turned government‑aided were illegally retrenched on 8 March 2006 without a disciplinary enquiry. The school contended that she had abandoned her post in July 1997 after marriage and had not been in continuo…

The Supreme Court examined a large group of contempt petitions filed by newspaper establishments alleging that they had failed to implement the Majithia Wage Board Award, which had been upheld by the Court in a 2014 judgment. The petitioners claimed wilful disobedience of the award, seeking civil contempt under Section…

The workmen, represented by the FCI Labour Federation, sought to compel the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to regularise contract labourers under the Departmental Labour System (DLS) as directed by the Supreme Court in a 2018 order. The corporation had instead regularised the workers under its long‑existing Direct Pay…

Paradeep Phosphates Ltd., a public sector undertaking, raised the retirement age of its employees from 58 to 60 years in 1998 on a government directive to curb losses. When the financial situation did not improve, the government ordered a rollback to 58 years in 2001, and the company withdrew the earlier order in 2002 …

K.K. Saksena, a former Secretary of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), challenged his termination in a writ petition under Article 226, alleging arbitrariness and violation of Article 14. The Delhi High Court dismissed the petition, holding that ICID is not a "State" within Article 12 and d…

The workers of Philips India Ltd. opposed the transfer of their factory to Kitchen Appliances India Ltd. and refused to join the new employer. After the Labour Department declined to refer their dispute to a tribunal, the workers filed a writ petition seeking retirement and retrenchment benefits. The Single Judge of th…

The case concerned whether an Industrial Tribunal or Labour Court loses its jurisdiction to set aside an ex‑parte award once the award becomes enforceable under Section 17A of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The appellant, Haryana Suraj Malting Ltd., sought to have an ex‑parte award against workman Phool Chand recal…

The appellants, supervisory employees of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd., claimed double overtime allowance under Section 59(1) of the Factories Act, 1948 for work performed between 1988 and 2005. Their claim arose while they were central government servants holding civil posts, and therefor…

The case concerned workmen of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) who had been employed as temporary, badli and part‑time staff after 20 May 1985 and sought absorption as regular employees. Earlier awards of the National Industrial Tribunal (NIT) by Justice R.D. Tulpule (1986) and clarified by Justice S.M. Jamdar…

Mis Rahman Industries Pvt. Ltd. appealed against a High Court order that mandatorily directed the Government of Uttar Pradesh to refer a dispute raised by workmen to a Labour Court for adjudication. The Supreme Court examined whether such a direction infringed the Government's statutory discretion under the Industrial …

Pawan Kumaragarwala, a bank officer, was charged with misconduct for allegedly influencing a loan application and helping a borrower obtain a second loan from another SBI branch without disclosing an existing loan. A disciplinary enquiry found several charges proved and imposed dismissal. The High Court Single Judge se…

The Air India Cabin Crew Association challenged the management’s revised promotion policy and the government’s 2003 directive that equalised the retirement and flying ages of male Flight Pursers and female Air Hostesses. The petitioners argued that these changes violated earlier bilateral settlements, the Air Corporati…

The management of Hind Filters Ltd. applied to the Labour Court for permission to retrench workers, but the Labour Commissioner referred the dispute to the Labour Court despite the establishment employing more than 100 workmen, which under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, would require referral to an In…

The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC), a government‑owned company, employed a number of workers who sought regularisation under the Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishments (Conferment of Permanent Status to Workmen) Act, 1981. An Inspector of Labour found that 53 workers had completed the requisite 480 days …

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) appointed security workmen through contractors, a cooperative society and later by direct memorandum, without following its recruitment rules. The workmen claimed regularisation after completing more than 240 days of service, alleging an unfair labour practice. The Industrial …

The appellant, Empire Industries Ltd., locked out its Garlick Engineering factory over three demands: cessation of agitational activities, a ceiling on dearness allowance, and retrenchment of workers. The State of Maharashtra, exercising power under section 10(3) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, issued an order pr…

The appellants, Hari Nandan Prasad and Govind Kumar Chaudhary, were casual daily‑wage workers of the Food Corporation of India who were terminated after more than 240 days of continuous service without notice, pay in lieu of notice or retrenchment compensation, violating Section 25‑F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 194…

The former manager of the Bank of Cochin, M.J. James, was dismissed for sanctioning advances in violation of head‑office instructions. During the disciplinary inquiry he was denied the right to be represented by an officer of a bank‑employees' union other than the Bank of Cochin, which he claimed violated Clause 22(ix)…

John D’ Souza, a former bus conductor, was dismissed by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation after a domestic enquiry that found him guilty of absenteeism. While an industrial dispute concerning his dismissal was pending before the Labour Court, the corporation sought permission to effectuate the dismissal under …

The respondent, a senior assistant of State Bank of India, was alleged to have caused a loss of over Rs.44 lakh by facilitating fraudulent credit and misplacing clearing instruments in May 2006. A criminal case under Sections 409 and 34 of the IPC was filed in 2007, but the trial progressed slowly, with only three of e…

Tata Iron & Steel Ltd. (Tata Steel) sold its cement division to Lafarge India under a Business Transfer Agreement, which purportedly transferred the employees to the buyer. The transferred workers later complained that they were forced to work for Lafarge without consent and sought to be taken back by Tata Steel, alleg…

The Supreme Court examined a Division Bench judgment of the Himachal Pradesh High Court that affirmed a disciplinary dismissal of a bank employee but was written in an incomprehensible manner. The Court held that a judgment must be clear, logical and accessible to the parties and the public, and that incoherent judgmen…

The appellant, a state agriculture marketing board, terminated the services of workman Mohan Lal in February 1986 without notice or retrenchment compensation. The workman raised an industrial dispute six years later, and the Labour Court held the termination violated Section 25‑F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, o…

The respondent was engaged as a daily‑wage helper for two fixed periods totaling 54 days, after which his service automatically terminated as per the contract. He raised an industrial dispute alleging that his termination amounted to retrenchment under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, seeking reinstatement with conti…

Mohd. Ali was employed as a casual labourer on a muster‑roll at an agricultural seed farm from 1980 to 1991, completing the statutory 240 days of work only in the years 1980‑1982 and 1986‑1989. He ceased work in 1991 without informing his employer. In 2005 he sought relief under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Ac…

The employer, M/s. Creative Garments Ltd., appealed against a Labour Court award that reinstated employee Kashiram Verma with back wages. The employee never reported for duty despite multiple communications, and his permanent address was never furnished; only a "care of Union" address was provided. The Supreme Court fo…

Santuram Yadav and other daily‑wage workers were employed as Nakedar and, facing removal, entered into a compromise with their employer that provided for reinstatement and seniority from their first appointment. The Labour Court initially awarded reinstatement, but the workers were later dismissed again. Their claim fo…

Workmen filed a civil suit in 2005 seeking a declaration and permanent injunction against a fine imposed by Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation. The corporation moved an application under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC to dismiss the suit and refer the matter to the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The application a…

The case concerned 136 contract workers who had been employed as trolley retrievers at Delhi airports and sought regularisation after the Central Government’s 2004 notification under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 (CLRAA) prohibited such contract labour in the Airports Authority of India (AAI)…

The respondent, Karamjit Singh, was initially appointed as a daily‑wage chowkidar and later regularized through an Office Order that allegedly interpolated his name into the final list of employees, despite not having the requisite three years of continuous service. The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (…

The University terminated security guard Prithvi Singh, a daily‑rated employee, after a departmental enquiry found him guilty of misconduct for misbehaving with a research scholar. The Labour Court, on reference under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act, held that the enquiry was illegal, treated the termination …

Rajneesh Khajuria, a sales employee of Wockhardt Ltd., was transferred from Sagar to Mumbai and failed to report, after which his services were terminated. He filed a complaint under the Maharashtra Recognition of Trade Unions and Prevention of Unfair Labour Practices Act, 1971 alleging that the transfer and terminatio…

The Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner issued a notice under Section 7A of the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, demanding that the Uttar Pradesh State Warehousing Corporation pay EPF contributions for 159 workers who performed loading and unloading in its godowns through contractors…

The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (the Corporation) appealed against judgments that had upheld a civil suit filed by its former trainee conductor, Bajrang Lal, challenging his removal from service for alleged embezzlement. The lower courts had found that the disciplinary enquiry violated principles of natu…

Vinod Ravjibhai Rajput was first appointed as a part‑time Gallery Attendant in 1995 and later as a full‑time attendant in July 2002. He was terminated in 2004 on a policy ground, reverted to part‑time, and again terminated in December 2012 for not meeting conditions of a 2007 government resolution. The Gujarat High Cou…

The appellant, a driver employed by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation since 1985, was charged in 1990 with securing his appointment by a false transfer certificate. An enquiry was initiated in 1992 but the report was only submitted in 2002, leading to a dismissal order in 2004. The appellant challenged the d…

The appellant, Sundaram Industries Ltd., directed its moulders to place production bags on an electronic weighing scale after their shift, which required extra effort and time without additional pay. Thirteen moulders refused, were suspended and later dismissed for alleged misconduct, persistent disobedience and insubo…

Ganapati Bhikarao Naik, the son‑in‑law of a land‑loser whose land was acquired for the Kaiga Atomic Power Project, was appointed as a helper under a rehabilitation scheme. After marital discord and a divorce proceeding, his father‑in‑law alleged that Naik was not a legitimate family member and the employer terminated h…

The workmen employed in the canteen of Air India, which was operated by Chef Air, a unit of the Hotel Corporation of India (HCI), claimed they were regular employees of Air India. Air India argued that HCI was a separate legal entity and that it had no control over the workers' hiring, wages, or discipline. The Supreme…

The appellant, a permanent driver at DAV Public School, was declared surplus and retrenched by the school’s Managing Committee in 2003. The school served a notice under Section 25F(a) of the Industrial Disputes Act but failed to send the statutory notice to the appropriate government authority under Section 25F(c) and …

Mahadeo Krishna Naik, a bus driver for Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), was dismissed after a fatal accident in 1996. The Labour Court upheld his dismissal, but the corporation later obtained a Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) award that placed sole blame on the lorry driver, a fact it failed…

Between 1999 and 2001 ONGC appointed about 800 workers on four‑year term contracts without prior public advertisement. The Employees Majdoor Sabha sought regularisation of 577 such term employees and, after failed conciliation, the Central Government referred the dispute on 21‑December‑2004 under the Industrial Dispute…

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) and the workers’ union TNEB‑Thozhilalar Aykkia Sangam entered into a wage settlement on 8 July 1998 under s. 18 of the Industrial Disputes Act, which provided that Dearness Allowance (DA) would be revised twice yearly using the same formula as the State Government. The Board cons…

Ramesh Kumar was appointed on a casual basis as a Mali in the Haryana Public Works Department in December 1991 and was terminated on 31 January 1993 without any notice or retrenchment compensation. He claimed that he had worked more than 240 days in the preceding 12 months, invoking the protection of Section 25F of the…

The appellant, a workman dismissed from a bank in 1996, obtained a reinstatement award with back wages from the Central Government Industrial Tribunal (CGIT) dated 18 July 2007. The award was stayed by the High Court and only confirmed after the dismissal of writ appeals on 12 July 2013, after which the appellant was r…

P. Karupiah, a driver employed by the General Manager Thiruvalluvar Transport Corporation Ltd., was dismissed after being convicted in a murder case, but was later acquitted by the High Court and reinstated. The employer refused to pay back wages for the period of dismissal, prompting the employee to file a writ petiti…

Siemens Ltd. issued a 2007 notification inviting workmen to apply for a two‑year Officer Trainee programme, after which successful candidates would be designated as Junior Executive Officers. The Siemens Employees Union alleged that this scheme violated clause 7 of a 1982 settlement (prohibiting officers from doing nor…

The Supreme Court examined whether three entities – Shree Vishal Printers Ltd (SVPL), Times Publishing House Ltd (TPHL) and Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL) Jaipur – could claim exemption from the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 under Section 16(1)(d). The Court applied the functional…

The case involved 90 non‑management workers (NMRs) of the Rengali Hydro Electric Project who claimed that they were forced to sign applications for a Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) through fraud and undue influence, and consequently were denied reinstatement. The Labour Court held that the VSS was thrust upon them a…

The appellant, a teacher in a private aided school, refused to contribute to a tax demand and was suspended and later terminated without proper approval or a fair inquiry, violating the Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (Conditions of Service) Act, 1977 and principles of natural justice. The School Tribunal quas…

The Supreme Court examined challenges by private employers, including Ficus Pax Private Ltd., to central and state orders issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 that compelled private establishments to pay full wages to all workers during the COVID‑19 lockdown. The petitioners argued that the orders were ultra‑…

Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (the appellant) had engaged a contractor to transport crushed coal, employing 32 workmen from 1984 to 1994. The workers' union sought regularisation of all 32 workers under clauses of the National Coal Wage Agreement IV, leading to a settlement on 5 April 1997 that regularised only 19 of them, …

The State Government referred a dispute under Section 10(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 to the Industrial Tribunal, Kota, seeking determination of various workmen demands. The Tribunal decided the reference ex parte against the Bundi Zila Petrol Pump Dealers Association (appellant) because it did not appear, a…

The employee of a Kerala co‑operative hospital was dismissed and challenged the termination before the Labour Court under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (ID Act). The Labour Court set aside the dismissal, but the employer obtained a writ setting aside the award. The Supreme Court examined whether a service dispute b…

The appellant, an assistant manager, was terminated by the respondent employer alleging absenteeism, after a show‑cause notice and disciplinary inquiry. The appellant filed a petition under Section 15(2) of the Payment of Wages Act for unpaid wages and later approached the Industrial Tribunal under Section 2(A) of the …

The respondent, Bhurumal, claimed that he had worked as a daily‑wage lineman for BSNL for about 15 years, suffered an electric shock on duty and was subsequently denied reinstatement, alleging illegal termination under section 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Industrial Tribunal and the High Court held tha…

Collector Singh, a semi‑skilled workman, was dismissed by L.M.L. Ltd. after a departmental inquiry found him guilty of throwing jute/cotton waste balls at a foreman and allegedly using abusive language. The Labour Court upheld the dismissal, relying on the appellant's apology letter, and the High Court affirmed that aw…

M.K. Hazra Chowdhury, an Assistant of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), was found to have issued premium receipts to policyholders without actually receiving the premiums. He admitted the act in his reply, citing workload and family pressures, and sought leniency. A departmental enquiry under Regulation 39 of …

The Armed Forces Ex Officers Multi Services Cooperative Society (the appellant) terminated the services of 55 driver‑employees, members of the Rastriya Mazdoor Sangh (INTUC), claiming a closure of its transport business after a brief illegal strike in 2007. The employees were offered re‑employment on fresh terms, which…

Jaswant Singh, an employee of Triveni Engineering, was transferred to another sugar mill and terminated when he did not report to the new location. He claimed to be a "workman" under the U.P. Industrial Disputes Act and challenged the transfer and termination via a writ petition. The High Court dismissed his petition, …

The Union of India moved several transfer petitions under Article 139A of the Constitution seeking to shift more than 140 writ petitions, pending in 18 High Courts, that challenge the constitutional validity of the Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015. The petitions argued that the amendments – which raised salary th…

The Central Government directed the public sector undertaking FACT to reduce the retirement age of pre‑1978 employees from 60 to 58 years. Trade unions challenged the order in the Kerala High Court; the Single Judge and the Division Bench dismissed the petitions and the Supreme Court dismissed the special leave petitio…

Devinder Singh was engaged by the Municipal Council, Sanaur as a clerk on a contract basis from August 1994 and his services were terminated on 30 September 1996 without the notice or compensation required under Section 25‑F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Labour Court awarded him reinstatement, but the Punja…

The Supreme Court examined appeals filed by several Development Officers of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) challenging a High Court order that set aside an award of the Central Government Industrial Tribunal. The core issue was whether these Development Officers qualified as "workmen" under Section 2(s) of the In…

The case concerned whether the retired employees of the Heavy Water Plant (HWP) of the Department of Atomic Energy, Tuticorin, are covered by the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. The employees had received gratuity under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 and sought the higher amount prescribed under the Gratuity Act, leading…

The appellant, a qualified Chartered Accountant, was appointed Manager (Finance) and later Deputy Chief (Finance) at Manganese Ore (India) Ltd. He was suspended and subsequently dismissed following a series of show-cause notices after reporting late to work due to his father's death. The High Court reinstated him but d…

The appellant, a peon of Punjab National Bank, was convicted under Section 409 IPC for embezzling Rs 5,000 and was dismissed from service. While his criminal appeal upheld the conviction, the appellate court released him on probation under the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958. The bank dismissed him under Section 10(1)…

The respondents were engaged as temporary store watchmen on daily wages between 1986 and 1989 under a purely temporary engagement order that stipulated termination when the requirement ceased. After the stores were closed in 1990, the respondents were terminated and later obtained an award from the Labour Court directi…

The case concerned a criminal prosecution of Bennet Coleman & Co. Ltd under Section 25U read with Section 29 of the Industrial Disputes Act for allegedly failing to implement the recommendations of the Manisana Wage Board constituted under the Working Journalists Act. The High Court had held the complaint maintainable;…

Nandkishore Shravan Ahirrao, a workman employed in the assembly department of Kosan Industries, was dismissed for causing a work disruption. The Labour Court, on reference under the Industrial Disputes Act, held the dismissal harsh and ordered his reinstatement with 25% back wages for the surplus period. The Gujarat Hi…

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) closed its rice mill and thereafter employed 49 former contract workers as casual daily‑wage employees. The workers sought regularisation, alleging that their continued casualisation constituted an unfair labour practice under item 10 of the Fifth Schedule of the Industrial Disputes …

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) dismissed two drivers, M. Mani and the late T.A. Mathivanan, after a departmental enquiry found them guilty of theft of a heavy machine while on duty. The employees were later acquitted of the theft charge in a criminal trial under IPC s.379. They challenged their dismissals in a La…

The respondent, a sub‑staff of Canara Bank, was found guilty of making unauthorized entries, coercing the branch manager to sanction loans for his family, and tampering with bank records, leading to his compulsory retirement in 2006. The disciplinary authority’s findings were affirmed by the appellate authority, and th…

Marathwada Gramin Bank was required to follow the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme from 1979, but between 1981 and 1993 it paid contributions in excess of the statutory amount under a self‑created trust scheme after obtaining an exemption from the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner. The exemption was withdrawn i…

The Tata Memorial Hospital Workers Union, a trade union registered under the Maharashtra Recognition of Trade Unions and Prevention of Unfair Labour Practices Act, 1971, sought to maintain its recognition against a rival workers' association. The rival argued that the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) was under the Central Go…

The Punjab State Co-operative Milk Producers Federation Ltd. (the Federation) appealed against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that granted its employees pay scales equivalent to Punjab government employees from 1 January 1986, despite the Federation having introduced revised pay scales only from 1 January 1994 d…

The Gujarat government, after representations by labour unions, issued a resolution on 17 October 1988 to regularise daily‑wage and semi‑skilled workers across all departments, providing graded benefits based on years of service under Section 258 of the Industrial Disputes Act. The applicability of this scheme to daily…

The respondent, a daily‑wage bus conductor employed by Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation for only a few months, was dismissed after a departmental inquiry found he had collected fare without issuing tickets. He filed a civil suit, which was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, and subsequently lodged a complain…

The appellant, a daily‑wage employee of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, challenged his termination by filing a civil suit invoking Sections 25B and 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, seeking reinstatement, regularisation and back wages. The civil court entertained the suit, held that the appellant had …

The respondents, former security guards of the Patratu Thermal Power Station, were dismissed in 1975 and filed a civil suit in Patna in 1979 seeking reinstatement, which the trial court allowed. The Bihar State Electricity Board appealed, and the appeal was heard by the Additional District Judge, Patna, and later by th…

The appellant, Nandkishore Lalbhai Mehta, entered into a sale agreement with the respondents for a plot in Mahim, subject to obtaining consent from the Mill Mazdoor Sabha (labour union) and various statutory permissions. The union refused consent, and the respondents declared the agreement cancelled and offered to retu…

K.G. Seshadri, a clerk appointed by State Bank of India in 1978 and confirmed in 1979, left the country in 1989, returned in 2004 and sought re‑employment, which the bank refused and instead declared his services voluntarily abandoned in 2008. He filed writ petitions and a claim before the Labour Court for pension bene…

The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) inspected Texmo Industries and found that the company had underpaid ESI contributions by including conveyance allowance in the wage base. Texmo contested, arguing that conveyance allowance is not "wages" under Section 2(22) of the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948. Th…

G. Kondal Rao, a contract conductor with APSRTC, was terminated after a departmental enquiry proved misconduct. He unsuccessfully challenged the termination through departmental and review mechanisms and then filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution. The Single Judge of the High Court, relying mechan…

The petitioner, a former clerk of the Karnataka Sericulture Department, was terminated in 1985 but only raised an industrial dispute in 1999, fourteen years later, alleging illegal termination under the Industrial Disputes Act. The Labour Court awarded reinstatement without back wages, which the management challenged; …

The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) and the Union of its workers entered into a settlement on 21‑12‑1989, wherein Clause 20 prescribed that Badali Kamdars would be regularised and absorbed into the permanent conductor cadre after completing 180 days of continuous service in that cadre. Several Badali K…

The Supreme Court examined a batch of appeals filed by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) challenging High Court orders that regularised workmen based on the PCLU judgment. The Court questioned whether the PCLU decision correctly interpreted clause 2(ii) of ONGC’s Certified Standing Orders and whether it had consid…

The petitioners, a consortium of newspaper management firms, challenged the constitutionality of the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 and its 1974 amendment, alleging violations of Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, as …

The respondent, a daily‑wage worker in the R&B Department of the State, was terminated in 1981 after working intermittently for about two years. After a lapse of fifteen years he filed a claim before the Labour Court, which ordered his reinstatement but awarded no back wages. The State appealed; the High Court upheld t…

The original standing order of a co‑operative bank fixed the retirement age at 55 years. Two settlements, dated 11‑01‑2004 and 21‑02‑2010 and sanctioned by an award of the Industrial Court, raised the retirement age to 58 years. The Bank Employees Union, a registered trade union, filed an application under Section 38(2…

Shyamal Kumar Lodh, an employee of Vijaya Bank, filed an application before the Labour Court at Dibrugarh for suspension/subsistence allowance under Section 33C(2) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The bank contended that the Court, constituted by the State Government, lacked jurisdiction because it had not been sp…

The case concerned contract labour employed in SAIL's captive limestone mines under a tripartite agreement with contractors. After a prohibition notification under Section 10(1) of the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 was issued in 1993, the contract labour continued to work until their services were …

The case concerned 2,040 contract labourers employed in SAIL's captive limestone mine who, after a 1993 prohibition on contract labour under the CLRA Act, continued to work and claimed parity of wages with regular SAIL employees under the NJCS memorandum. The respondents sought relief under Section 20(1) of the Minimum…

The Supreme Court dealt with contempt petitions filed by M/s Writers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd. (WPL) seeking the disbursement of proceeds from the sale of Super Bazar assets after the Court had earlier ordered a full refund of WPL's investment with interest, subject to deduction of profits. The Court examined the Comptr…

The National Kamgar Union (appellant) challenged the closure of Kran Rader Pvt. Ltd.'s manufacturing unit, alleging that more than 100 workers were employed and that the employer failed to comply with Section 25-K of Chapter VB of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Industrial Court had held that 115 workers were em…

Harjinder Singh, a workman employed by Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, was retrenched despite seniority over junior employees. The Labour Court awarded him reinstatement with 50% back wages under Section 25G of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Punjab & Haryana High Court, exercising writ jurisdiction under …

The appellant, an accountant, was dismissed by the respondent company and the dispute was referred to the Fifth Industrial Tribunal under the West Bengal Industrial Disputes Rules, 1958. The workman appeared before the Tribunal while the company did not; the workman filed a written statement but the Tribunal failed to …

The workman, originally a Junior Supervisor, was transferred from Visakhapatnam to Jharsuguda but refused to report, leading to his suspension and dismissal. He challenged the dismissal before the Labour Court, which modified the order, reinstated him, and directed him to join at Jharsuguda, while also directing the ma…

Harina​gar Sugar Mills Ltd. (Biscuit Division) (HSML) applied to close its biscuit unit after Britannia Industries terminated a 32‑year job‑work agreement. The State Government, through a Deputy Secretary, sent a letter on 25 September 2019 asking HSML to resubmit its application, claiming the original lacked cogent re…

Bombay Chemical Industries (appellant) contested an application filed by a former employee (respondent No.2) before the Labour Court under Section 33C(2) of the Industrial Disputes Act seeking difference of wages for the period 2006‑2012, claiming he was employed as a salesman. The appellant denied any employment relat…

The Supreme Court dismissed ONGC's appeal against the Bombay High Court's order upholding the Central Government Industrial Tribunal's findings. The dispute concerned whether contract workmen engaged through contractors were employees of ONGC and thus entitled to pay parity, and whether a settlement dated 19 September …

The appellant, a workman, was dismissed for misconduct and the employer sought approval of the dismissal under Section 6E(2) of the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which requires that the workman be paid wages for one month before dismissal. The appellant claimed that his monthly wages of Rs.1,214.40 were …

Manju Saxena, a senior confidential secretary of HSBC Bank, was terminated after her post became redundant and she refused four alternate positions offered at the same pay scale, as well as a severance package. She raised an industrial dispute seeking an enhanced severance package, but the Central Government Industrial…

The respondent, a daily‑wage conductor, was employed by Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation from 3 October 1987 to 31 March 1989 and was terminated without payment of retrenchment compensation. The Labour Court held the termination illegal, ordering reinstatement with 65% back wages; the Gujarat High Court set aside the ba…

The Supreme Court dealt with the sale of immovable property of Jay Electric Wire Corporation Ltd., a company under liquidation, which had been sold to the appellants for Rs. 2.50 crore in 2006. Secured creditors and the workmen's union challenged the sale, alleging procedural irregularities, unfair price, and the limit…

Kuldeep Singh, a data entry operator, was terminated by the Instrument Design Development and Facilities Centre without complying with the notice and compensation requirements of Section 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. He made numerous representations to various government officials, after which the Haryana G…

The Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Sangh, representing 14 workmen of BCCL's Balihari Colliery, obtained a 1996 Industrial Tribunal award directing their regularisation without back wages. The Jharkhand High Court in 2004 modified the award, stipulating that the employer must give preference to these workmen when hiring reg…

The appellants were officers of Canara Bank who resigned between 1986 and June 1993, i.e., before the statutory settlement dated 29‑Oct‑1993 and the Canara Bank Employees' Pension Regulations, 1995 came into force. They claimed entitlement to a pension in lieu of the Contributory Providable Fund, relying on the pension…

Raghuvir Singh, a conductor with Haryana Roadways, was arrested in 1994 on a criminal charge of ticket‑money misappropriation and was terminated from service without a proper enquiry or show‑cause notice. After being acquitted in 2002, he sought reinstatement; the dispute was referred by the State Government to the Lab…

The Central Government Industrial Tribunal awarded reinstatement, regularisation and 75% back wages to 21 casual workers of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) whose retrenchment was held void. The management of FCI filed a writ petition challenging the award, obtained a conditional stay, but nevertheless reinstated an…

The Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC) sold the lease‑hold rights of the closed industrial concern Mysore Panel and Boards Pvt Ltd, whose 83 workmen had earlier been awarded statutory dues of Rs 29,17,062 by courts under Section 33‑C of the Industrial Disputes Act and the Payment of Gratuity Act. The workmen’…

Ram Niwas Bansal, a bank officer, was charged with financial irregularities and dismissed on 23 April 1985. The High Court set aside the dismissal, directing reinstatement only to enable a fresh enquiry because the enquiry report had not been furnished, and ordered back‑wages until the earlier of superannuation or fina…

The appellant, a daily‑wage workman, was terminated in 1999 after being implicated in a criminal case, later acquitted, and filed an industrial dispute alleging violation of Section 25(f) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Labour Court ordered his reinstatement with 50% back wages. The State of Haryana filed a w…

Ranbir Singh, a daily‑wage worker employed by the Executive Engineering Public Works Department, was terminated in 1991 without the notice and retrenchment compensation mandated by Section 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Labour Court held the termination illegal and ordered his reinstatement with back wag…

Prem Singh, a welder, worked for about 37 years in a work‑charged establishment of the Uttar Pradesh government and was later regularised before superannuation. He claimed that the period spent in the work‑charged establishment should be counted as qualifying service for pension under the Uttar Pradesh Retirement Benef…

The respondent, a former agricultural assistant of the Central Bank of India, was dismissed in 1982 on charges of impersonating his brother in a recruitment test. An industrial tribunal in 2008 held the dismissal unjustified and ordered reinstatement without back wages. The respondent filed a 2009 writ petition challen…

Vijay Kumar Handa, a clerk of UCO Bank, was charged with gross misconduct and dismissed from service in 1999. The appellate authority modified the penalty to removal from service with entitlement to terminal benefits, stating that removal would not disqualify future employment. The bank later challenged the award of th…

The respondent, A.S. Raghavendra, was appointed by Bharti Airtel Limited as Regional Business Head (South) in the grade of Senior Manager (B2)‑Sales with a salary of Rs.22 lakh per annum and supervised four Account Managers. After resigning in 2011, he claimed his resignation was forced and filed a petition before the …

The respondent, a piece‑rated mazdoor, initially declared his date of birth as 27‑12‑1948 when he joined Barsua Iron Ore Mines in 1972, enabling him to meet the statutory minimum age of 18. In 1982 he altered his recorded birth date to 12‑03‑1955 without documentary proof, and only in 1998 submitted a school transfer c…

The appellants, former contract workers of the Sudamdih Coal Washery project, sought to be absorbed as regular employees of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) and to receive retrenchment compensation. The Central Government referred their grievance to an Industrial Tribunal under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1…

The respondent, Pratap Singh, worked as a peon for the Barara Cooperative Marketing‑cum‑Processing Society Ltd from 1973 until his termination in 1985. The Labour Court held the termination illegal and awarded him a lump‑sum compensation of Rs.12,500 in lieu of reinstatement, which he accepted. In 1993 he sought re‑emp…

The case concerned a workman who was dismissed by the Nava Naroda Gram Panchayat and later entered into a compromise with the Sarpanch for reinstatement and back wages. The Labour Court upheld the compromise, but the Gram Panchayat and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation challenged its validity, arguing that the Sarpanch l…

The Worth Trust, a charitable organization that also runs commercial factories, was challenged by its workers' union for payment of bonus and ex-gratia for the year 1996-97. The union argued that the workers, employed in the Trust's factories, fall within the definition of "workmen" under the Factories Act and are ther…

The Federation of Bank of India Staff Unions and an employee sought to have three workmen nominated as directors of the Bank of India under the Nationalised Banks (Management and Miscellaneous Provisions) Scheme, 1970. The Central Government rejected the panel because the candidates had less than three years of service…