Employee terminated from service not automatically entitled to back wages on reinstatement: Supreme Court

The Court was dealing with an appeal by a retired bus conductor.

He was terminated from service by the Delhi Transport Corporation in 1996 for allegedly not issuing tickets to two passengers despite collecting ₹4 for the same in 1992.

In 2009, he was reinstated by a Labour Court. However, the Labour Court also ruled that he was not entitled to be paid back wages for the time when he was not working for the Delhi Transport Corporation.

The Delhi High Court also upheld the Labour Court ruling. Aggrieved, the bus conductor moved an appeal before the Supreme Court in 2016. He retired from service in 2020.

Source: Barandbench