Industry not paying minimum wages has no right to continue: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has said, an industry which does not pay the minimum wages to its workers has no right to continue.The Court said, the employment of workmen without paying them the minimum wages constitutes a criminal offence for which punitive sanctions are provided under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. 

The order was pronounced while allowing the petition of a gardener and dismissing the plea of his employer, the Central Secretariat Club, on the issue of payment of minimum wages to him as



prescribed by the Delhi Government.

Justice C Hari Shankar directed the club to disburse to gardener Geetam Singh the difference in payment between the wages paid and the minimum wages payable to him under the Act from September 1, 1989, to September 1992, in addition to the amount awarded by the labour court. 

The court also directed the club to pay 50,000 rupees cost to the man for not complying with the labour court's order passed 14 years ago.