Don’t prosecute employers who are unable to pay wage during lockdown: SC

New Delhi, May 15: The Supreme Court has ordered administrations not to prosecute employers.

The court said that administrations across India should not prosecute employers who are unable to pay the wages during the lockdown.

The Bench headed by Justice Nageswar Rao while staying the MHA circular said no coercive action should be taken until the Centre files its response next week.

The orders were made on a batch of petitions filed by industrial units saying that they have no means to pay since there is no production.

The court also sought the response from the Centre on this issue. Since the nation-wide lockdown was announced, several industrial units have remained shut. With no production, these units told the court that they have no means to pay.

The government is lifting restrictions in a graded manner owing to the COVID-19 situation. In its previous advisory, the government had allowed industrial units to open in the green zones. In many states, the industrial units are opening in a graded manner with staggered work force, owing to social distancing norms.