In Brief
The Supreme Court held that daily-wage workers employed by the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit for over 240 days were entitled to protection under Section 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act, despite their irregular appointment procedures. Their termination without notice and compensation as mandated by Section 25F was illegal and void. Although the Tribunal had awarded reinstatement with 50% back wages, the Court modified the relief to a lump-sum monetary compensation of Rs. 2.5 lakh per worker, finding such compensation more practical for daily-wagers who have no right to regularization or continued service post-reinstatement. The Court reaffirmed that the applicability of Section 25F depends on workman status and continuous service, not appointment regularity.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.