RAMAMURTI Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is before this Court assailing the endorsement at Annexure-L dtd. 8/10/2021 issued by the 1st respondent. He has also sought for consequential relief directing the respondents to make the payment of six months minimum wages difference amount, which has been paid to other library supervisors of Kalaburgi district.

(2.) Heard the learned counsel for the parties.

(3.) The petitioner is working as a Library Supervisor at Zilla Panchayat Library, Unchalli, Sirsi taluk, Uttara Kannada district. It is the grievance of the petitioner that though notifications were issued by the State Government, under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (for short, 'the Act of 1948'), the respondents have failed to pay the minimum monthly wages to the library supervisors. Similarly situated library supervisors of Kalaburgi district had approached the jurisdictional Labour Officer in the year 2012 with a prayer to direct the respondents to pay the difference of amount considering the notification dtd. 21/2/2011 issued under the provisions of the Act of 1948. In the said proceedings, the Labour Officer vide order dtd. 12/6/2013 had directed to pay the difference of minimum wages to the library supervisors working in the district of Kalaburgi. The said order was unsuccessfully challenged by the State before this Court and also before the Hon'ble Supreme Court. Thereafter on 19/11/2020, the petitioner had made a representation to the Competent Authority to pay the difference of minimum wages. Since the said representation was not considered by the Competent Authority, he had approached this Court along with similarly situated other library supervisors in WP No.100575/2021, which was disposed of by the Coordinate Bench of this Court on 15/3/2021 with a direction to the Competent Authority to consider the representation of the petitioners therein. Thereafter the 1st respondent has issued impugned endorsement dtd. 8/10/2021 vide Annexure-L. Being aggrieved by the same, the petitioner is before this Court.