PITHAMPUR AUDYOGIK SANGTHAN Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This order shall govern the disposal of W.P. No.9401/2024, W.P.11921/2024 and W.P.12606/2024. The petitioners being industrial associations and charitable institutions have approached this court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to seek judicial intervention.

(2.) The petitioners are challenging the legality and validity of the impugned notifications issued by the Respondents notably the notification dtd. 4/3/2024 (Notification No. F 4(B)1/2014/A 16) and the subsequent notification dtd. 13/3/2024 issued by the State of Madhya Pradesh to revise the minimum wages applicable to various scheduled employments throughout the State under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The petitioners Pithampur Audyogik Sangthan representing industrial interests in Pithampur; the Association of Industries Madhya Pradesh representing various industrial WP No.9401/24, 11921/24 and 12606/24 units across the state; and Ujjain Charitable Trust Hospital and Research Centre representing charitable institutions to which the wage revisions apply.

(3.) Vide the impugned notifications minimum wages for the employees/workmen working in 68 scheduled employments have been revised @ 25% ( approx.) after 10 years. The common grievance of the petitioners is that this uniform hike in wages is irrespective of the differing cost of living between establishments situated in urban and rural areas and therefore suffers from arbitrariness and unreasonableness. The petitioners have submitted that the Madhya Pradesh Minimum Wages Advisory Board recommendations were adopted after a four-year delay and the board was also improperly constituted with an imbalance in representation and violation of the statutory provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The notifications issued by the state of Madhya Pradesh which are under challenge by the petitioners are as follows: