The Delhi High Court on Friday directed Central Government and Lower Court to decide the case as expeditiously as possible within 3 months from the date of its receipt in a petition filed seeking directions to ensure that all the employers make payment of wages to their workers during the lockdown period.
A single-judge bench of Justice Navin Chawla of Delhi High Court while conducting hearing through video conferencing further noted that It is made clear that in such proceedings both parties shall provide full assistance to the concerned authority and shall not take any unnecessary adjournment.
The petition has been filed by the employees of a Taxi Company through Advocates Mr. Satyam Singh Rajput and Mr. A.K. Sharma regarding the issue of non-payment of wages and cancellation of their employment amid lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak.
The petitioners submitted that they are the employees of the Taxi Company, However, the Taxi Company contended by submitting that the services of the petitioners were availed of by the said respondents only on work basis and not as permanent employees.
Whereas the Court while disposing of the matter stated that “As the petition raises disputed questions of fact which cannot be adjudicated while exercising jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the same is disposed of granting liberty to the petitioners to approach the concerned Authority under the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954.”
65464_2020-India Legal Bureau