In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has declared that carpentry is undeniably a skilled profession, pushing back against the classification of carpenters as unskilled workers. This ruling came while addressing an appeal to enhance motor accident compensation for a carpenter who lost his right hand in a 2014 road accident.
Without formal evidence of the carpenter’s income, the Court turned to the minimum wage benchmarks for skilled laborers, dismissing the argument that wages for unskilled workers should apply. Highlighting the complexity and precision of carpentry, the bench underscored its status as a craft requiring expertise and training.
“A carpenter constructs objects of utility and beauty—sometimes even entire homes—using precision and creativity that untrained individuals cannot replicate. To label such a craft unskilled would be profoundly unjust,” the bench observed.
The judges drew upon prior rulings to solidify their stance. They referenced the definition of “artisan” from State of Orissa v. Adwait Charan Mohanty and noted Neeta v. Maharashtra SRTC, which explicitly recognized carpentry as skilled labor.
Applying the appropriate skilled labor minimum wages issued by the Labour Commissioner, Punjab, the Court revised the compensation awarded to the carpenter. The final amount was increased to ₹15.91 lakh, significantly higher than the ₹8.26 lakh granted by the High Court and the ₹6.83 lakh originally awarded by the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal.
This judgment not only secures greater compensation for the affected individual but also underscores the respect and recognition deserved by skilled tradespeople across the country.
