WORKMEN OF JESSOP AND COMPANY LIMITED Vs. JESSOP

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS is an appeal by special leave by the workmen of Jessop Co. Ltd., against the award of the fourth industrial tribunal, West Bengal. There was a dispute between the appellant-workmen and their employer who is respondent 1 in the present appeal about a number of matters, which were referred for adjudication to the tribunal. In the present appeal we are concerned only with some of the matters which were in dispute before the tribunal; and they are these :

(2.) BESIDES , the appellants also challenge the date from which the award has been ordered to be brought into operation by the tribunal.

(3.) AS to dearness allowance for the subordinate staff, the appellants claimed it at the rate of what is known as the Bengal Chamber of Commerce dearness allowance, which is meant for clerical staff at the head office and which the clerical staff in the present case getting. The tribunal however held that the Bengal Chamber of Commerce dearness allowance is not applicable to subordinate staff and following the awards of the three major engineering tribunals made certain changes in the dearness allowance in favour of the appellants, though it refused to grant the scale according to the Bengal Chamber of Commerce dearness allowance.As to overtime, the appellants claimed it at twice the ordinary rate of wages. The existing rate was one and a quarter of the basis rate of pay. The tribunal has allowed one and a half times the basic hourly wage for the workmen at the head office.