MUNICIPAL COUNCIL LATUR Vs. SHIVAJI VAIJNATH KAMBLE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) -COMMON issues emerge from these writ petitions and, therefore, I heard these writ petitions jointly and I am disposing of the same by a common judgment.

(2.) RESPONDENTS in these writ petitions are the Sweepers of the street of the Municipality, Latur. They are employed on daily wages as Sweepers by the Municipality. It is disclosed during the hearing that there are another set of Sweepers under the said Municipality who are known as regular Sweepers and who are drawing time scale of pay and other attended benefits like National Holiday benefits and other better services benefits like regular employees of the Municipality. These respondents-Sweepers individually made applications before the Labour Court at Latur under section 33 (c) (2) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (hereinafter called as the Act), claiming that they are serving as Sweepers for 8 years or more on daily wages under the Latur Municipality and the wages are being paid at the end of every month and that they are discharging the same duties and responsibilities of the regular categories of Sweepers who are paid in time scale of pay by the Municipality. They further allege that there are no difference in working hours and nature of work etc. from that of the regular Sweepers. With these allegations they approached the Labour Court praying for an equal treatment with that of the regular Sweepers employed by the Municipality in terms of their remunerations following the principle of Equal Pay for Equal Work. The evidence was adduced before the Labour Court by the respective parties.

(3.) ON appreciation of evidence, the Labour Court was accepting the contentions of the respondents-Sweepers and directed the Municipality, Latur, to apply principle of equal pay for equal work in the case of the Sweepers who are paid daily wages. The Labour Court found that they are entitled to the time scale of pay. The Labour Court has granted the following reliefs in its judgment dated 14-12-1992 :---