R.K. Panda & Ors vs Steel Authority Of India & Ors

The Supreme Court ruled that contract labourers who have been continuously employed for over 10 years in perennial jobs are entitled to be treated as regular employees under the Industrial Disputes Act. The Court emphasized that the designation of workers as contract labourers was an attempt to undermine their rights to equal pay and job security. The Court ordered the absorption of eligible workers into regular employment, modifying previous interim orders to allow management to offer options for voluntary retirement or regularization.