Industrial Disputes Act

A rare nine-judge Constitution Bench rules today on whether the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply test for 'industry' under the ID Act still holds, with sweeping consequences for labour law.

The Supreme Court holds that sham contract labour disputes must be resolved through adjudication and not stalled at the conciliation stage, while cautioning against interim relief that pre-judges employment status.

In a landmark decision, the Delhi High Court has ruled that airline pilots qualify as "workmen" under the Industrial Disputes Act, rejecting salary-based exclusions in favor of a "predominant duty" test. The Court held that pilots primarily perform technical and operational duties rather than managerial roles, granting them protection under labour laws.