SC issues notice to Centre over PIL seeking exemption from wage payment

A Supreme Court bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan on Friday issued a notice to the central government in response to a PIL filed by a Rajasthan-based company seeking to strike down government notifications ordering employees to pay full wages to all its workers during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the central government in response to a PIL seeking to strike down government notifications ordering employees to pay full wages to all its workers during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

A bench comprising of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and BR Gavai heard petitioner Teknomin Construction Limited, a Rajasthan-based Company, represented by Advocate Jeetender Gupta, who had challenged an advisory dated March 20 issued by the Ministry of Labour & Employment and a March 29 order of the Ministry of Home Affairs as violative of Articles 14 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India.

It sought modification in the MHA order exempting employees who are not reporting to work voluntarily.

A similar petition filed by 11 Haryana-based MSMEs was also heard along with the one filed by the Rajasthan-based firm and the apex court tagged it with other similar petitions.

The matter has now been listed for May 15.