JUDGMENT

Dr. ARIJIT PASAYAT, J.—

1.The present appeals are directed against the judgment of a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court. Several Writ Petitions were disposed of by the High Court. These writ petitions were filed either by the Unions of the workers of the Marathwada Agricultural University (hereinafter referred to as the ‘University’) or by the employees of the University against the State of Maharashtra and against the University. The primary grievance was that qualification, nature of work, duties and responsibilities of the work of labourers who were daily rated labourers are same as that of permanent labourers employed by the University. Even then the daily rated workers were getting far less wages than the emoluments which were being paid to permanent labourers. It was also submitted that the Maharashtra Mumbai Wages Commission constituted under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 had fixed the rate of wages depending upon the zones in the Marathwada region. But the University paid these daily rated workers far less.

2.The High Court held that denial of the appropriate wages to the daily-rated workers amounted to exploitation of labour. The Government cannot take advantage