Brief Background
The petitioners, working as contractual and outsourced personnel in various technical and facility management roles under the National Informatics Centre (NIC), approached the Delhi High Court seeking reliefs relating to their employment conditions. During the proceedings, the petitioners restricted their prayer to consideration of their representation submitted before the Chief Labour Commissioner pursuant to directions issued by the Supreme Court.
The matter concerns protection of the petitioners’ service conditions while proceedings relating to their employment rights remain pending before the competent labour authorities.
Order Passed by the Court
The Delhi High Court considered the submissions made on behalf of the petitioners and the judicial precedents cited regarding protection of service conditions during the pendency of labour proceedings. The Court noted that industrial dispute proceedings concerning the petitioners were already under consideration before the competent authority.
Relying upon earlier decisions of the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, the Court observed that service conditions of workmen cannot ordinarily be altered during the pendency of industrial dispute proceedings. Accordingly, the Court directed that status quo with respect to the petitioners’ service conditions shall be maintained till the next date of hearing and listed the matter for 02 December 2025.
That the interim order continues as the matter is pending adjudication before the Hon’ble High court
Significance of the Order
This order provides interim protection to the petitioners by safeguarding their existing service conditions while the dispute remains pending before the labour authorities. The decision reinforces statutory protections available to employees during the pendency of industrial disputes.
The ruling also reiterates the principle that employers should not unilaterally alter service conditions or take adverse employment actions while proceedings concerning industrial disputes are pending before the competent forum.