In Brief
Contract labourers employed at Steel Authority of India's limestone mines before a prohibition notification under the CLRA Act (issued March 1993) sought equal wages with regular employees after the prohibition took effect. The Court held that contract labourers are entitled only to the minimum wages agreed and notified by the Government, not to the higher wage rates applicable to regular employees. The Court clarified that Section 20(1) of the Minimum Wages Act addresses disputes about prescribed wage rates, not equal pay claims. Absent proof that contract labourers performed identical work to regular staff, they cannot claim parity. The Court allowed SAIL's appeal, setting aside orders awarding compensation, and dismissed the workers' appeal, confirming SAIL needed only pay agreed minimum wages.
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