V RAMCHANDRAN Vs. INDIAN BANK

JUDGEMENT

(1.) AN interesting question arises in this writ petition as to the power of the management to deduct wages for the absence of the employee during working hours from his seat. As to how this question arise would be evident from the following facts:

(2.) THE petitioner was working as a shroff/clerk in the respondent-Bank's (Indian Bank) main branch at Madurai and he was drawing a total salary of rs. 1,380 per mensem. He is also the organising secretary of the Indian Bank employees' Union which is claimed to be the major union. The Bank admittedly is a nationalised Bank. To celebrate the 7th anniversary of the bank Nationalisation, which fell on the 19th of July, 1976, a function was organised to be held on the 19th July, 1976 at 6 30 p m. A communication was addressed to all the members of the staff on that day stating that the meeting convened at 6. 30 p. m. stood postponed to a later date on 28-7-1976 the following notice was put up :

(3.) THE main grounds urged in the writ petition are as under : Employees in the Madurai Main Branch have gone on a mass deputation inside the premises on several occasions previously to put forward their grievances and no deductions from the salary have been made on those occasions. For instance, on 26-12-1973 and 7-6-1976 similar mass deputations were taken to the Regional Manager's Office regarding the grievances concerning certain organisational matters, but no deductions were made from the salaries then, as on this occasion.