{"id":33210,"date":"2026-09-30T01:46:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T01:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=33210"},"modified":"2026-09-30T01:49:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T01:49:24","slug":"equal-pay-for-equal-work-in-india-law-code-on-wages-supreme-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/equal-pay-for-equal-work-in-india-law-code-on-wages-supreme-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Equal Pay for Equal Work in India: Law, Code on Wages & Supreme Court"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span>Equal Pay for Equal Work in India: Constitutional, Statutory and Judicial Framework<\/span><\/h1>\n
\n

<\/span>Abstract<\/span><\/h2>\n

The principle of \u201cequal pay for equal work\u201d occupies an important position in Indian labour and constitutional law. It expresses the proposition that workers performing the same work, or work of comparable nature, should not receive unequal remuneration merely because of gender, contractual status, nomenclature, or an arbitrary classification. The principle has developed through a combination of constitutional values, statutory regulation, and judicial interpretation. Article 39(d) of the Constitution directs the State to secure equal pay for equal work for both men and women, while Article 14, Article 16 and Article 21 have supplied constitutional foundations for equality, non-arbitrariness and dignity in employment. The jurisprudence of the Supreme Court, beginning prominently with Randhir Singh v. Union of India<\/em>, has treated the principle as more than a purely aspirational directive in appropriate cases. At the same time, the Court has repeatedly clarified that the principle does not mean that every employee with the same designation is automatically entitled to identical pay. Actual duties, responsibilities, qualifications, recruitment, skill, experience, accountability and the quality and quantity of work remain relevant.<\/p>

\n
\n

Table of Contents<\/p>\nToggle<\/span><\/path><\/svg><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n