Bombay High Court: A Division Bench of Ujjal Bhuyan and Riyaz I. Chagla, JJ., rejected the relief of payment of full wages to the petitioner employees union holding that there case is not covered by the March 29th Order of the Central Government directing all establishments to pay full wages to employees during the period of lockdown due to COVID-19.
Premier Union Employees had approached the Court seeking direction to the State of Maharashtra and Commissioner of labour to ensure that workers of Premier Limited are pid wages for the duration of the lockdown in terms of Ministry of Home Affairs order dated 29th March, 2020, order of Department of Industries, Energy and Labour, Government of Maharashtra dated 31.03.2020; and order dated 20.03.2020 passed by the Industrial Court, Maharashtra at Pune.
Appropriate proceedings to be initiated against Premier Limited under Disaster Management Act for failure to comply with government orders.
On the other hand, Premier Limited assails the legality and correctness of the Order passed by the Industrial Court.
Union has raised grievance of unfair labour practice against the company. Complaint pertaining to the said grievance was registered at the Industrial Court.
Company obtained No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the office of Commissioner of Labour for shifting its plant, NOC was conditional in as much as the company had to give an undertaking that it would make full payment of wages and dues to the workmen and ensure continuity of their employment.
However, the company defaulted and has not paid wages and dues to the workmen since May, 2019.
Thus, Union in view of the above filed a petition before the Court seeking a direction to the State and Commissioner of Labour for cancellation of the NOC, both the matters are pending with no orders passed thereon.
On 3rd March, 2020, company had issued a notice addressed to all the workmen and staff stating that the management had decided to suspend operations with immediate effect. In response to this notice, Union raised the grievance of unfair labour practice and filed a complaint.
Industrial Court directed the company to pay wages to the workmen w.e.f. 01.03.2020 on or before the tenth day of each month.
Despite the above order, no payment has been made to the workmen.
Ministry of Home Affairs order dated 29-03-2020:
“all the employers, be it in industry or in shops and commercial establishments, shall make payment of wages to their workers at their workplaces and on the due date without any deduction for the period their establishments are under closure during the lockdown.”
Government of Maharashtra in the Industries, Energy and Labour Department issued a government resolution dated 31.03.2020 declaring that all the workers / employees including contractual, temporary and daily wagers working in private establishments, shops (except essential services), factories etc., who had to remain indoors due to outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown, shall be deemed to be on duty and shall be paid full salary / wages and allowances.
On 2nd June, 2020, this Court had directed the company to comply with the Order of the Industrial Court, to which company filed a petition with regard to the legality and validity of the Industrial Court’s Order.
Company alleged that the union had adopted an obstructionist approach leading to the company losing many precious orders thereby causing substantial loss. This prevented payment of salary / wages to the employees and workers on regular basis post May, 2019.
Due to the stated circumstances, company had to suspend all its operations.
Analysis & Decision
A conjoint reading of the central government order and the Maharashtra government resolution would go to show that those have been issued to meet the situation arising out of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Question to be addressed is:
Could the central government order and the Maharashtra government resolution be invoked in a situation where the management and workmen are engaged in an industrial adjudication relating to non-payment of salary / wages and suspension of work much prior to closure of the establishments due to the lockdown?
Or where the related cause of action arose prior to the lockdown?
In Court’s opinion, the claim of the workmen to wages will not be covered by the central government order and the Maharashtra government resolution.
Adding the reasoning to its’ conclusion, bench stated that measures introduced by the above two would cover a situation where an employee / worker was in employment as on the day the lockdown was declared and had received salary / wages for the previous month i.e., the month immediately preceding the lockdown.
The said measure was introduced to ensure maintenance of status quo with regard to payment of salary / wages and employment.
Industrial Court’s Order
Industrial Court noted that a prima facie case for interim relief was made out by the union. It was further observed that if the management was not directed to pay wages, members of the union would suffer hardship and inconvenience.
Since according to the Industrial Court, complainant had made out a strong prima facie case, interim direction was issued to the management to pay wages to the workmen from 01.03.2020 onwards till final disposal of the complaint.
In Courts opinion, the above view of Industrial Court was found to be contradictory and therefore, High Court held that, in the interest of justice it would be just and proper if a direction is issued to the management to pay 50% of the full monthly wages to the workmen with effect from 01-03-2020 till disposal of Complaint (ULP) No.32 of 2020.
Industrial Court is directed to complete the adjudication process within a period of six months.
In the above view, petitions were been disposed off. [Premier Employees Union v. State of Maharashtra, 2020 SCC OnLine Bom 794 , decided on 13-07-2020]
