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IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Gajendra Singh, JJ.
The Chief Executive Officer/Director, Ziqitza Health Care
Ltd. v. 108 Ambulance Karmachari Sangh Madhya
Pradesh & Another
Miscellaneous Petition No. 5802 of 2022 (Indore);
Decided on 10.4.2024
(1) Minimum Wages Act, 1948 -- S. 14 -- Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 -- Ss. 41(4) and 91 -- Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 -- S. 38 -- Minimum Wages (Madhya Pradesh) Rules, 1958 -- R. 25 -- claim for overtime -- ambulance drivers/technicians -- period of duty above and in excess of 8 hours up to 12 hours cannot be considered as overtime when employee has rendered only 3-4 working hours -- R. 25 of Minimum Wages (M.P.) Rules provides that working day of adult worker shall be so arranged that inclusive of intervals of rest, if any, it should not spread over more than twelve hours on any day -- employees were required to work for eight hours -- petitioner entitled to spread over eight hours’ work with additional four hours as resting period -- resting period of 4 hours cannot be termed as overtime -- contention that they had to wait for emergency calls and respond within minutes therefore it should be treated as working hours for overtime, cannot sustain in eye of law as there is distinction between working hour and resting period -- it was burden of employees to prove that they worked for more than 8 hours, excluding 4 hours of spread over period -- no evidence lead in that regard -- Industrial Tribunal committed error in law in granting overtime wages to employees. M. P. No. 1788 of 2022 and 1967 MPLJ 442 agreed to. Care M. P. No. 4116 of 2018 decided on 17.6.2019 passed sub silentio and not binding precedent. (1989) 1 SCC 101 and (2007) 6 SCC 586 followed. AIR 1966 SC 1201, (2019) 9 SCC 120, (2015) 2 SCC 189, (1985) MHLJ 390, 2020 (3) JLJ 109 and Writ Appeal No. 457 of 2020 decided on 28.4.2021 referred to. [Paras 11 to 13]
(2) Practice -- onus to prove claim -- lies upon claimant himself. [Para 13]
(3) Interpretation of Statute -- conflict between two statutes -- Court should try to reconcile conflicting parts so that one part does not negate purpose of another -- law should be interpreted in a way that removes inconsistency and allows both provisions to remain in force, working together harmoniously -- goal is to give effect to all provisions -- to avoid conflicts, interpretation of statute should be consistent with all parts. [Para 16]
(4) Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 -- S. 38 -- applicability -- ambulance drivers/technicians -- held -- only for purpose of counting ‘hours of work’ of person engaged in ambulance service, provisions of Motor Transport Workers Act should be made applicable -- for any other liability arising out of said Act, ambulances are exempted u/s. 38. [Para 16]
(5) Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 -- S. 2(f) -- Minimum Wages Act, 1948 -- S. 14 -- hours of work -- ambulance drivers/technicians -- maximum working hours in both Acts are 12, which include 8 working hours and 4 hours of spread over period -- to maintain harmony between statutes and convenient interpretation, for any worker engaged in ambulance, ‘hours of work’ shall be determined as per relevant provision of Motor Transport Workers Act -- for all other purposes, ambulance is exempted from said Act. [Para 17]
¼1½ U;wure etnwjh vf/kfu;e] 1948 & /kkjk 14 & eksVj ;ku vf/kfu;e] 1988 & /kkjk 41¼4½ rFkk 91 & eksVj ifjogu deZdkj vf/kfu;e] 1961 & /kkjk 38 & U;wure etnwjh ¼e/; çns'k½ fu;e] 1958 & fu- 25 & vfrdky ds fy, nkok & ,EC;qysUl Mªkboj@rduhf'k;u & deZpkjh us 3&4 dk;Z ds ?kaVs gh dk;Z fd;k gks rc 8 ?kaVksa ls Åij vkSj vf/kd 12 ?kaVksa rd ds drZO;dky dks vfrdky ugha ekuk tk ldrk & U;wure etnwjh ¼e-ç-½ fu;eksa ds fu- 25 esa micaf/kr gS fd o;Ld deZdkj dk dk;Z fnol bl rjg ls O;ofLFkr fd;k tk,xk fd vodk'k ds fy, varjkyksa dks] ;fn dksbZ gksa] lekfo"V djrs gq, og fdlh Hkh fnu ckjg ?kaVksa ls vf/kd foLr`r ugha gksuk pkfg, & deZpkfj;ksa }kjk vkB ?kaVs dk;Z fd;k tkuk visf{kr Fkk & ;kph vkB ?kaVksa ds dk;Z dks foJke vof/k ds :i esa vfrfjä pkj ?kaVksa ls foLr`r djus dk gdnkj & 4 ?kaVksa dh foJke vof/k dks vfrdky ugha dgk tk ldrk & ;g ladFku fd mUgsa vkikrdkyhu cqykos dh çrh{kk djuk iM+rh Fkh vkSj dqN {k.kksa ds Hkhrj gh çfrfØ;k nsuk iM+rh Fkh blfy, mUgsa vfrdky ds dk;Z ds ?kaVs ekuk tkuk pkfg,] fof/k dh –f"V esa fLFkj ugha jg ldrk D;ksafd dk;Z ds ?kaVs rFkk foJke vof/k lqfHkUu gksrs gSa & ;g lkfcr djus dk Hkkj deZpkfj;ksa ij Fkk fd foLr`fr vof/k ds 4 ?kaVksa dks NksM+ dj] mUgksaus 8 ?kaVksa ls vf/kd dk;Z fd;k & ml ckjs esa dkbZ lk{; is'k ugha fd;k x;k & vkS|ksfxd vf/kdj.k us deZpkjhx.k dks vfrdky etnwjh çnku dj fof/k dh xyrh dhA çdh.kZ ;kfpdk Ø- 1788 lu~ 2022 rFkk 1967 ,eih,yts 442 ls lEerA çdh.kZ ;kfpdk Ø- 4116 lu~ 2018 fu.khZr fnukad 17-6-2019 ekSu jgrs gq, ikfjr rFkk vkc)dj iwoZ fu.kZ; ughaA ¼1989½ 1 ,llhlh 101 rFkk ¼2007½ 6 ,llhlh 586 vuqlfjrA ,vkbvkj1966 ,llh 1201] ¼2019½ 9 ,llhlh 120] ¼2015½ 2 ,llhlh 189] rFkk ¼1985½ ,e,p,yts 390] 2020 ¼3½ ts,yts 109 rFkk fjV vihy Ø- 457 lu~ 2020 fu.khZr fnukad 28-4-2021 fufnZ"VA ¼iSjk 11 ls 13½
¼2½ çFkk & nkok lkfcr djus dk Hkkj & Lo;a nkosnkj ij gksrk gSA ¼iSjk 13½
¼3½ fof/k dk fuoZpu & nks dkuwuksa esa ijLij fojks/kkHkkl & U;k;ky; dks fojks/kkHkklh Hkkxksa dk lek/kku djus dk ç;Ru djuk pkfg, rkfd ,d Hkkx ls vU; Hkkx dk ç;kstu fujFkZd ugha gks & fof/k dk fuoZpu bl çdkj fd;k tkuk pkfg, fd folaxrrk nwj gks rFkk nksuksa mica/k lkeatL;iwoZd ,d lkFk fØ;k'khy jgrs gq, ço`Ùk jg ldsa & y{; lHkh mica/kksa dks çHkkoh djus dk gS & fojks/kkHkklksa ls cpus ds fy,] fof/k dk fuoZpu lHkh Hkkxksa ls laxr gksuk pkfg,A ¼iSjk 16½
¼4½ eksVj ifjogu deZdkj vf/kfu;e] 1961 & /kkjk 38 & ykxw gksuk & ,EC;qysUl Mªkboj@rduhf'k;u & vfHkfu/kkZfjr & ,EC;qysUl lsok esa dk;Zjr O;fä ds ^dke ds ?kaVksa* dh x.kuk ds ç;kstu ds fy, gh eksVj ifjogu deZdkj vf/kfu;e ds mica/k ykxw fd, tkuk pkfg, & mä vf/kfu;e ls mn~Hkwr vU; fdlh Hkh nkf;Ro ds fy,] ,EC;qysUlksa dks /kkjk 38 ds v/khu NwV çkIr gSA ¼iSjk 16½
¼5½ eksVj ifjogu deZdkj vf/kfu;e] 1961 & /kkjk 2¼p½ & U;wure etnwjh vf/kfu;e] 1948 & /kkjk 14 & dke ds ?kaVs & ,EC;qysUl Mªkboj@rduhf'k;u & nksuksa vf/kfu;eksa esa dk;Z ds vf/kdre ?kaVs 12 gSa- ftuesa 8 dk;Z ds ?kaVs rFkk 4 foLr`fr vof/k ds ?kaVs lfEefyr gSa & dkuwuksa ds e/; lkeUtL; cuk, j[kus vkSj lqfo/kktud fuoZpu ds fy,- ,EC;qysUl esa dk;Zjr fdlh deZdkj ds fy, ^dke ds ?kaVs* eksVj ifjogu deZdkj vf/kfu;e ds lqlaxr mica/k ds vuqlkj vo/kkfjr fd, tk,¡xs & vU; leLr ç;kstuksa ds fy,] ,EC;qysUlksa dks mä vf/kfu;e ls NwV çkIr gSA ¼iSjk 17½
ORDER
Dharmadhikari, J. -- 1. With consent of both the parties the matter is heard finally at Motion Stage.
2. The present Petition has been filed by the petitioner under Article 227 of the Constitution of India assailing order dated 23.8.2022, passed by Presiding Officer, Industrial Tribunal, Indore in reference case No.01/ID/2019, whereby claim submitted by Respondent No.1 Union has been accepted and hours of service rendered by Respondent No.1 union in excess of 8 hours has been considered as overtime and Petitioner has been directed to make payment of overtime wages.
3. In brief, facts of the case necessary for adjudication of present petition are being narrated as hereunder :
3.1 Respondent No.1 Union ‘108 Ambulance Karamchari Sangh’ represents its members employed as Driver/Technician with petitioner company Ziquitza Healthcare Limited, a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956, and is providing ambulance services in almost all the districts and cities of the State of Madhya Pradesh under the name of Sanjeevni 108, Janani Express, Medical Mobile Units and Health Helpline 108.
3.2 The Respondent No.1 Union approached labour commissioner, raising a dispute under Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 regarding non-payment of overtime wages to some of its employees by the petitioner company. The said Dispute was referred to Industrial Tribunal, Indore vide reference order dated 25.1.2019 after framing 3 questions of reference which are as under:
^^1- D;k vkosnd lsokfu;qDrx.k ,oa mDrkuqlkj vHkkosndx.k ¼1½ eas] ftfdjktk gsYi daoj fyfeVsM] xksiky rFkk ¼2½ jk"Vªh; LokLF; fe'ku] e-iz-] Hkksiky ds e/; fu;qDr fu;ksDrk laca/k gS\ ;fn gk¡ rks D;k mek nsuksa vukosndx.k vFkok mDr esa ls dkSu ls ,d vukosnd mDr lsokfu;qDrx.k ds fu;ksDrk gSa\
2- ;fn gk¡ rks D;k mDrkuqlkj lsokfu;kstd laLFkku esa dk;Zjr lsokfu;qDrx.kksa ij uksVj ;krk;kr deZdkj vf/kfu;e] 1961 ds izkoèkku ykxw gksrs gSa\
3- ;fn ugha rks mUgsa fdu oS/kkfud izko/kkuksa ds vUrxZr ßlkekU; dk;Z fnol] dk;Z ds ?k.Vs dk;Z ds ?k.Vksa dk foLrkj ¼LizsM vksoj½] vfèkle; Hkqxrku rFkk lkIrkfgd vodk'k dh ik=rk gksxh\ rn~uqlkj os fdl lgk;rk ds ik= gSa rFkk bl laca/k esa lsokfu;kstdx.k dks D;k funsZ'k fn;s tkus pkfg,\**
3.3 Consequently, Respondent No.1 union had submitted Statement of claim before Industrial Tribunal claiming overtime wages of four hours duty, over and above Eight Hours in a day under Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and rules prevalent there under. It was averred by the Respondent No.1 union that they are employed with Respondent No.2 National Health Mission.
3.4 The claim of Respondent No.1 union has been contested by Petitioner company in their reply on ground that Drivers/technician only act upon emergency calls, which are mostly 2 to 3 per ambulance during a day, therefore they perform their duties for 3 to 4 hours on average per day. ‘Ambulances’ are emergency Transport vehicles and Petitioner is a Motor Transport Undertaking covered under Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 and hence as provisions contemplated therein working hours of respondent No.1 union members can be spread over upto 12 hours which includes 8 hours of duty and 4 hours of resting period. It had been further averred that even if Rule 25 of The Minimum Wages (Madhya Pradesh) Rules, 1958 is considered to be applicable over workers of Respondent No.1’s Union, then also claim of Respondent No.1 Union is liable to be rejected, because the said rule also provides for Spread over period of 4 hours over and above 8 hours of working hour during a day. Petitioner company has also averred in reply that provision of section 91 of Motor Vehicles act, 1988 has not been considered in Misc Petition 4116/2018 and therefore provisions of Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 are applicable upon Petitioner company and respondent no.1 union employees in light of section 91 of Motor Vehicles act, 1988. It has been further averred that since provisions of Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 are applicable therefore, claim under section 20 of
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