1992 Supreme(MP) 625

1993 JLJ 55
S.K. Dubey and R.C. Lahoti, JJ.
Vandna Singh (Smt.) v. Steel Authority of India Ltd. and another
M.P. No. 217 of 1991; Decided on 30.9.1992

Headnote:Per S.K. Dubey, J.

       (1) Constitution of India -- Arts. 14, 16 and 39 (d) -- action of not regularising an employee for long period and denying him "equal pay for equal work" -- are exploitation of labour.

       The action of the respondents in not regularising the petitioner and not paying the minimum pay scale amounts to exploitation of labour. In our opinion, the contention has got a merit in the facts which are borne out and not disputed. It is clear that there is no difference in the nature of duties and work which is being performed by petitioner as temporary Office Assistant from that performed by a regular Office Assistant; therefore, there is no reason to deny the claim of "equal pay for equal work". AIR 1(1)7 SC 2342 followed. [ Para 9

       If two classes of persons under the same employer working with similar responsibility under similar working conditions, discharging similar duties, the doctrine of "equal pay for equal work" cannot he ignored on the ground, of the employment being temporary or permanent in nature of because of different modes of selection. AIR 1986 SC 132 and (1991) ISCC 619 followed. 1(1)1) MPLJ 729 relied on. [Para 10 to 12]

       Per R.C. Lahoti, J.;

       (2) Constitution of India -- Arts. 14,16 and 39 (d) -- regularisation and doctrine of "equal pay for equal work" u no vacant post available -- employee cannot he regularised-- doctrine of "equal pay for equal work"-- applies on demonstration of discrimination by aggrieved employee. M.P. No 467/89 relied on. AIR 1989 SC 1308 followed. [Para 27 to 29)

       (3) Constitution of India -- Arts. 226 -- "equal pay" depends upon "equal work" -- such question of fact is not ordinarily fit to be adjudicated in writ jurisdiction. [Para 30

       Per S.K. Dubey, J.:

       (4) Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1963 (M.P.) -Standard Standing Order 2 (i) and (vi) --temporary employee working on the post for the last more than 13 years -- cannot he called a post of temporary character -- such employee acquires status of "permanent" employee within the meaning of clause (i).

       Though the appointment order, passed as long as hack in the year, 1979, speaks that the appointment was against a temporary post purely on a temporary basis, the said temporary post on which petitioner continues to work till date, is existing since last thirteen and a half years and the temporary work has not come to an end. Therefore, by any stretch of imagination, the work which the petitioner is doing, cannot he said to he essentially of a temporary character. As the proviso to the definition of "temporary" employee contained in clause (vi) carves out an exception to the general provision in the Standard Standing Order 2 (vi), in our opinion, an employee who works continuously for more than six months in connection with the increase in the work of a permanent nature, would he deemed to he a "permanent" employee within the meaning of Standard Standing Order 2 (i). [Paras 16 & 17

       Per R.C. Lahoti, J.:

       (5) Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Rules, 1963 (M.P.) -Standing Standard Order 2 (i) and (vi) ‘temporary" employee employed for work -- of temporary character -- cannot always acquire "permanent" post after working for six months -- proviso to clause (vi) will be read with clause (i).

       Vide clause (i) to he a permanent employee, the employee should haw (a) completed six months; (b) satisfactory service; and (c) in a clear vacancy. If the proviso to clause (vi) is read in isolation, a temporary employee employed for work essentially of a temporary character would be deemed to have been confirmed with the status of a permanent employee without regard to the consideration whether the service were satisfactory or not and whether or not there was a clear vacancy. Such an interpretation would not only violate the celebrated rule of harmonious construction but would also lead to absurdity. Reference to clause (i) in the proviso to clause (vi) oblige the proviso being read with clause (i) ; meaning there by that the temporary employee as defined under clause (vi) would remain a temporary employee without regard to the period of work done by him unless and until it is found that there was a clear vacancy available and the services of the employee were satisfactory. [Para 32 Per

       S.K. Dubey, J. :

       (6) Interpretation of Statutes -- Proviso to a particular provision of statute -- only embraces the field which is covered by the main provision. AIR 1955 SC 765, AIR 1991 SC 1538 and AIR 1991 SC 1406 followed. [Para 18

       (7) Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Rules, 1963 (M.P.) -Standard Standing Order 2 (vi) -- temporary employee continuing on the post for more than six months -- contention of these being "no post" cannot he heard -- proviso to clause (vi) -- applies only to the temporary employees. 1990 MP LJ 328 and 1992 MPL1570 relied on. [Para 20 and 21

       Per R.C. Lahoti, J.

       (8) Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Rules, 1963 (M.P.) -Standard Standing Order 2 (vi) -- "temporary" employee serving form ore than 13 years -- right of regularisation cannot be denied to him-- it would also he violative of Art. 16 of the Constitution. AIR 1992 SC 1574 followed. [Para 33

       U;k- ,l- ds- nqcs- %

       ¼1½ Hkkjr dk lafo/kku && vuq- 14] 16 rFkk 39 ¼/k½ && fdlh deZpkjh dks yacs le; rd fu;fer ugha djus rFkk mls leku dk;Z ds fy, leku oeur ls bUdkj && Jfedksa dks ‘kks"k.k gSA

       izR;fFkZ;ksa }kjk ;kph dks fu;fer ugha djus vkSj U;wure osrueku dks jde dk lank; ugha djus dk dk;Z Jfedksa ds ‘kks"k.k dh dksfV esa vkrk gSA gekjh jk; esa] lkfcr vkSj vfooknxzLr rF;ksa ls bl izfrfojks/k esa xq.k gSA ;g Li"V gS fd ;kph }kjk vLFkk;h dk;kZdky lgk;d ds :i esa laiUu fd, tk jgs drZO; vkSj dk;Z dk Lo:i fu;fer dk;Zdky lgk;d }kjk laiUu fd, tkus okyksa ls fHkUu ugha gS( vr% leku dk;Z ds fy, leku osru ds nkos ls bUdkj djus dk dksbZ dkj.k ugha gSA , vkb vkj 1987 ,l lh 2342 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 9À

       ;fn O;kfDr;ksa dsnks oxZ mlh fu;ksDrk ds v/khu dk;Z dh le:i ifjfLFkfr;ksa esa le:i mRrjnkf;Roksa ds lkFk le:i drZO;ksa dk ikyu djrs gS( **leku dk;Z ds fy, leku osru** ds fl)kar ds mis{kk bl vk/kkj ij ugha dh tk ldrh fd fu;kstu dk Lo:i vLFkk;h ;k vFkok LFkk;h ;k mlesa p;u ds <ax ls fHkUu FksA , vkb vkj 132 rFkk ¼1991½ ,l lh lh 619 vuqlfjrA 1988 ,e ih ,y ts 729 voayfcrA ¿ iSjk 10 ls 12À

       U;k- vkj-lh- ykgksVh %

       ¼2½ Hkkjr dk lafo/kku && vuq- 14] 16 rFkk 39 ¼?k½ && fu;ferhdj.k rFkk **leku dk;Z ds fy, leku osru** dk fl)kar && O;fFkr deZpkjh }kjk foHksn iznf‘kZr djus ij ykxw gksrk gSA iz-;k-Ø- 467@89 voyafcrA , vkb vkj 1989 ,l lh 1308 vuqlfjrA

        ¿ iSjk 27 ls 29À

       ¼3½ Hkkjr dk lafo/kku && vuq- 226 && **leku osru**] **leku dk;Z ij fuHkZj djrk gS && rF; ds ,sls iz‘u dk U;k;fu.kZ;u lkekU;r;k fjV vf/kdkfjrk esa fd;k tkuk Bhd ugha gSA ¿ iSjk 30À

       U;k- ,l-ds-nqcs %

       ¼4½ vkS|ksfxd fu;kstu ¼LFkk;h vkns‘k½ fu;e] 1963 ¼e-iz-½ && ekud LFkk;h vkns‘k 2 ¼,d½ ,oa ¼Ng½ && vLFkk;h deZpkjh in ij xr 13 o"kZ ls dk;Zjr && vLFkk;h Lo:i dk in ughaa dgk tk ldrk && ,slk deZpkjh [kaM ¼d½ ds vFkkZrxZr **LFkk;h deZpkjh dh izkfLFkfr vftZr dj ysrk gSA

       ;|fi iwoZ esa dHkh 1979 esa ikfjr fd, x, fu;qfDr ds vkns‘k esa dgk x;k gS fd fu;qfDr fo‘kq)r% vLFkk;h vk/kkj ij vLFkk;h in ij dh xbZ Fkh] dfFkr vLFkk;h in ftl ij ;kph vkt rd dk;Z dj jgk gS] foxr lk<s+ rsjg o"kZ ls fo;eku gS vkSj ;g vLFkk;h dk;Z vHkh rd iwjk ugh gqvk gSA vr% dYiuk dh dSlh Hkh mM+ku ls] ;kph tks dk;Z dj jgk gS mls vko‘;d :i ls vLFkk;h Lo:i dk ugha dgk tk ldrkA D;ksafd [kaM ¼Ng½ esa varfoZ"V **vLFkk;h* deZpkjh dh ifjHkk"kk ds iajrqd }kjk ekud LFkk;h vkns‘k 2 ¼Ng½ ds lkekU; mica/k dk viokn izLrqr fd;k x;k gS] gekjh jk; esa] dksbZ deZpkjh tks dk;Z esa LFkk;h Lo:i dh o`f) gksus ds izlax esa Ng ekl ls vf/kd dk;Z djrk gS] ekud LFkk;h vkns‘k 2¼,d½ ds vFkkZarxZr **LFkk;h deZpkjh le>k tk,xkA ¿ iSjk 16 ,oa 17À

       U;k- vkj-lh- ykgksVh %

       ¼5½ vkS|ksfxd fu;kstu ¼LFkk;h vkns‘k½ fu;e] 1963 ¼e-iz-½ && ekud LFkk;h vkns‘k 2 ¼,d½ ,oa ¼Ng½ && **vLFkk;h** deZpkjh vLFkk;h Lo:i ds dk;Z ds fy, fu;qDr && Ng ekl dk;Z djus ds i‘pkr~ lnSo **LFkk;h in vftZr ugha dj ysrk && [kaM ¼Ng½ dk ijarqd [kaM ¼,d½ ds lkFk i<+k tk,xkA

       [kaM ¼,d½ ds vuqlkj LFkk;h deZpkjh gksus ds fy, deZpkjh }kjk ¼d½ Ng ekl dh ¼[k½ lek/kkudkjd lsok ¼x½ Li"V fjfDr esa iwjh dh tkuk pkfg,A ;fn [kaM ¼Ng½ dk ijarqd vdsyk i<+k tk,xk rc vko‘;d :i ls vLFkk;h Lo:i ds dk;Z ds fy, fu;ksftr fdlh deZpkjh dh fcuk bl ij /;ku fn, fd lsok,¡ lek/kkudkjd Fkha ;k ugha vkSj dksbZ Li"V fjfDr Fkh ;k ugha] LFkk;h deZpkjh dh izkfLFkfr iq"V dj nh tk,xhA ,sls fuoZpu ls u dsoy vFkkZUo;u ds ;‘kLoh fu;e dk vfrØe.k gksxk vfirq og folaxfr esa Hkh ifj.kkfer gksxkA [kaM ¼Ng½ ds ijarqd esa [kaM ¼,d½ dk funsZ‘k gksus ls ;g ijarqd [kaM ¼,d½ ds lkFk i<+k tkuk ck/;dkjd gS( ftldk vFkZ ;g gS fd [kaM ¼Ng½ esa ifjHkkf"kr vLFkk;h deZpkjh mlds dk;Z fd, tkus dh dkykof/k ij /;ku fn, fcuk rc rd vLFkk;h cuk jgsxk tc rd ;g ik;k tk, fd Li"V fjfDr miyC/k Fkh vkSj deZpkjh dh lsok,¡ lek/kku dkjd FkhaA ¿ iSjk 32À

       U;k- ,l-ds-nqcs %

       ¼6½ fof/k dk fuoZpu && dkuwu ds fdlh fof‘k"V mica/k ds ijarqd && esa dsoy eq[; mica/k ls vkPNkfnr {ks= lekfo"V gksrk gSA , vkb vkj 1955 ,l lh 765] , vkb vkj 1991 ,l lh 1538 rFkk , vkb vkj 1991 ,l lh 1406 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 18À

       ¼7½ vkS|ksfxd fu;kstu ¼LFkk;h vkns‘k½ fu;e] 1963 ¼e-iz-½ && ekud LFkk;h vkns‘k 2 ¼Ng½ && vLFkk;h deZpkjh ml in Ng ekl ls vf/kd jgk && **in ugha** gksus dk izfrfojks/k lquk ugha tk ldrk & [kaM ¼Ng½ dk ijarqd && dsoy vLFkk;h deZpkfj;ksa dks ykxw gksrk gSA 1990 ,e ih ,y ts 328 rFkk 1992 ,e ih ,y ts 570 voyafcrA

        ¿ iSjk 20 ,oa 21À

       U;k- vkj- lh- ykgksVh %

       ¼8½ vkS|ksfxd fu;kstu ¼LFkk;h vkns‘k½ fu;e] 1963 ¼e-iz-½ && ekud LFkk;h vkns‘k 2 ¼Ng½ && **vLFkk;h** deZpkjh dk lsokdky 13 o"kZ ls vf/kd && mlds fu;ferhdj.k ds vf/kdkj ls bUdkj ugha fd;k tk ldrk && ;g lafo/kku ds vuq- 16 dk Hkh vfrØe.k gksxkA , vkb vkj 1992 ,l lh 1574 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 33À