In Brief
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the Indian government issued orders directing all private employers to pay workers full wages during workplace closure. Multiple employers and employers' associations challenged these orders as unconstitutional and beyond executive powers. While the Court noted the orders were subsequently withdrawn from 18 May 2020, it deferred substantive adjudication of constitutional validity. Recognizing the disparate impact of lockdowns on employers and workers, the Court directed interim negotiation and settlement procedures between employers and employees through labour authorities, permitting workers to resume work while preserving their wage claims for the 50-day lockdown period."
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