SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Article Pause Article
judgment-img

2006 Supreme(Del) 2296

High Court Of Delhi
Shiv Narayan Dhingra
K.GEORGE CHACKO - Appellant
Versus
THE SECRETARY (LABOUR) - Respondents
W. P. (C) 7500 Of 2003
Decided On : 12/08/2006

Advocates Appeared:
ARVIND NAYAR, Mayuri Mehta

Headnote:Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

       Sections 12(5) and 2(s) - Order declining to make reference on the ground that the claimant was not workman under the Act — Held that the Government is entitled to have a prima facie view before making reference — Order of Government declining to make reference on the ground that the applicant/petitioner was not a workman but was discharging supervisory duties — Impugned order, affirmed.


SHIV NARAYAN DHINGRA, J.

( 1 ) BY this writ petition, the petitioner has challenged the validity of order dated 17. 11. 2000 and 17. 7. 2001 passed by the Secretary (Labour)declining to refer the alleged dispute raised by the petitioner for adjudication to the Industrial Tribunal.

( 2 ) THE petitioner was working as a Senior Manager (Panda) with M/s vama Industries and drawing a salary of Rs. 19,740/- p. m. . He sought to raise a dispute about the termination of his service by the employer. The defence taken by the employer was that the petitioner was not a 'workman' within the meaning of Section 2 (s) of the Industrial Disputes Act. The respondent No. 1 passed an order dated 17. 11. 2000 refusing to refer the dispute allegedly raised by the petitioner on following grounds: "shri K. George Chacko was admittedly working with a management on the post of Senior Manger (Panda) and his last salary drawn was 19740/- p. m. . According to the copies of documents verified was submit-ted by the management, Sh. Chacko was issuing appointment letters, sanctioning leave to the staff acting as passing authority in respect of medical bills of the staff and automobile repair and expenses authorised signatory in r/o P. F. . documents and issuing instruction to the staff of the need of discipline and punctuality and order regarding delivery of stationary and printing items in the capacity of Sr. Manager (Panda ). He was performing duties of managerial and administrative nature and having administrative and financial powers Sh. Chacko is, therefore, not a workman as defined in the section 2 (s) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. As required under the provisions of sub-section (5) of section 12 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 a copy of this order be sent to the parties concerned. "

( 3 ) THE petitioner filed a review petition against the order of the appropriate Government and the review petition was also dismissed by the secretary (Labour) on 17. 7. 2001 observing as under: "whereas the matter of dispute between the management of M/s Varna industries, through its Managing Partner, 523-524, World Trade Centre, barakhamba Road, New Delhi-110001 and Shri K. George Chacko, b-453, DDA Flats, Ghazipur Dairy Farm, Delhi-110096 was declined to be referred to the Industrial Tribunal/labour Courts for adjudication vide order of even number dated 17. 11. 2000 on the ground that Shri k. George Chacko was admittedly working with a management on the post of Senior Manager (Panda) and his last salary drawn was Rs. 19740/-p. m. He was performing duties of managerial and administrative nature and having administrative and financial powers, Sh. Chacko is, therefore, not a workman as defined in Section 2 (s) of the Industrial Disputes act, 1947. Whereas, the workman has filed review application dated 29. 12. 2000 to review the Order dated 17. 11. 2000. The contention of the petitioner is that although his designation was Manger (Personnel and Administration), yet the duties performed by him were of the clerical nature and not of a managerial nature. Therefore, both the parties were called for hearing. The management on the other hand, contented that the petitioner was functioning in the grade of Senior Manger and was drawing salary of Rs. 19740/- per month with other perks, such as the facilities of official vehicle etc. and was performing the managerial / supervisory duties and as such, could not be termed as 'workman' within the ambit of Section 2 (s) of the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947. The management in support of its contention has filed photocopies of many documents indicating exercise of supervisory/managerial authority by the petitioner. The petitioner, however has rebutted it by stating that whatever authority he exercised was subject to audit check by his superiors and his job was pre-dominantly clerical. It appears that the petitioner has at times performed jobs of clerical nature i. e. preparation of salary of the employees with the help of c








Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
whatsapp-icon Back to top