SOUTH INDIAN BANK LIMITED Vs. A R CHACKO

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal arises out of an application under S. 33C(2) of the Industrial disputes Act. The respondent A. R. Chacko was working as a clerk in the Coimbatore Branch of the appellant Bank when by an order dated June 19, 1959 he was promoted as accountant and was transferred to the Alleppy Branch of the Bank. The appellant's pay in the new post was fixed by an order on July 16, 1960. By this order he was allowed Rs. 120/- as basic pay in the new grade of Rs. 120-10-160 from January 1, 1960. From August 1, 1960 and thereafter he was allowed to drawn Rs. 10/-per month as CAIIB allowance. The petitioner's case in the application under S. 33C(2) is based on the contention that after his promotion to the post of accountant with additional supervisory duties he was entitled to the special allowance of Rs. 40/- under Para 164 of the Sastry Award. His case is that he was entitled from the date of his joining as accountant i.e., from July 13, 1959 - (a) to a basic pay of Rs. 95/- of his old grade with annual increments due on December 1, every year i. e., at the rate of Rs. 95/- in the months of August, September. October and November 1959 and thereafter at the rate of Rs. 100/- from December 1959 to November 1960, and thereafter at the rate of Rs. 106/- from December 1960; (b) special allowance of Rs. 40/- per month for the additional supervisory duties and (c) dearness allowance in terms of the award. The total amount to which he would be entitled thus would be Rs. 4,495.22. The amount actually paid to him for the period July 13, 1959 to the end of March 1961 for which the application was brought was Rs. 3637.73. He claimed to be entitled to the additional amount of Rs. 855.49 and prayed that the Labour Court be pleased to issue a certificate for this amount to the Collector authorising the Collector to recover, the amount in accordance with law.

(2.) In resisting this application the Bank contended (1) that such an application under S. 33c(2) of the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 was incompetent, (2) that in any case the matter would be one within the jurisdiction of an industrial tribunal and not the Labour Court. (3) that the Sastry Award had ceased to be operative from March 31, 1959 long before the date of the respondent's appointment as an accountant and so no benefits accrued to him under that award and (4) by his appointment as accountant the respondent had ceased to be a workman and was therefore not entitled to he benefits of the Sastry Award. The Labour Court rejected all these objections and allowing the application, computed the amount due to the respondent from the Bank to be Rs. 855.49. Against this decision the present appeal has been filed by special leave.

(3.) The first objection raised by the Bank is now concluded by the decision of this Court in the Central Bank of India v. P. S. Rajagopalan, C. A. Nos. 823 to 826 of 1962 D/-19-4-195-63: (AIR 1964 SC 743) where it has been held that such an application by workmen lies under S. 33C(2) of the Act.