Overview

• The High Court dismissed the J&K Horticulture Corporation's appeal against a single judge's ruling mandating payment of back wages and benefits to employees.
• The court clarified that the 'no work no pay' principle does not apply when employees are kept from work by employer actions or omissions.
• Employees had accepted voluntary retirement but resumed service after the corporation failed to pay promised benefits under the VRS scheme.
• The corporation argued employees could not claim wages for the period they were absent, but the court upheld their entitlement due to employer fault.
• The corporation has been directed to release the withheld salaries and all consequential benefits to the employees within eight weeks of the order's service.