Legal Reference Library

The Supreme Court, in State of Punjab vs. Jagjit Singh has held that temporary employees would be entitled to draw wages at the minimum of the pay-scale (- at the lowest grade, in the regular pay-scale), extended to regular employees, holding the same post. Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice S.A. Bobde held that the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ would be applicable to all the concerned temporary employees, so as to vest in them the right to claim wages, at par with the minimum of the pay-scale of regularly engaged Government employees, holding the same post. The Bench was hearing an appeal against the High Court order which had held that temporary employees are not entitled to the minimum of the pay-scale, as was being paid to similarly placed regular employees. India is a signatory to the above covenant, having ratified the same on 10.4.1979. There is no escape from the above obligation, in view of different provisions of the Constitution referred to above, and in ...

The Supreme Court had in its judgment rendered in March, last year, directed the Life Insurance Corporation of India to absorb the some temporary workmen in the permanent posts. It was further held that the Corporation would be liable to pay all consequential benefits including monetary benefits taking into consideration the revised pay scale in the cases of those workmen who had attained the age of superannuation. On a Review plea by LIC, which contended that implementing the order would increase in its financial burden and that the same will be contrary to the interests of the policyholders, the Supreme Court has modified the Judgment only with regard to payment of back wages and held that only 50% of the back wages with consequential benefits will be payable. The Court observed: “While ordinarily, the aspect of financial hardship would not be a sufficient ground to warrant our interference in the instant case, but keeping in view the fact that LIC is a statutory Corporation operatin...