JAGDISH YADAV Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) 23 employees have jointly filed this writ petition seeking to challenge the order, dated August 23, 1977 passed by the appellate authority under Section 20(6) of the Minimum Wages Act as amended in this State. By the impugned order the appellate authority set aside the order dated December 24, 1996 passed by the competent authority and rejected the claims raised on behalf of the petitioners.

(2.) The 23 petitioners filed claims under Section 20 of the Act alleging that the respondent Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation had paid them wages at rates lower than the minimum wages fixed under the Act and seeking a direction for payment of their j differential wages together with compensation.

(3.) According to the petitioners they were engaged for loading and unloading bags of food grains; that they worked during the period j April, 1993 to March, 1995 and handled 1421 bags of food grains. According to their case the minimum wages fixed under the Act was Rs. 30/- per day and on that basis the total wages of each of the claimants should have been Rs. 18,720/-. The Corporation had, however, paid to each of the claimants only a sum of Rs. 1452/- They accordingly sought a direction from the competent authority under the Minimum Wages Act asking the Corporation to pay to each of the claimants their due wages alongwith compensation ten times of the unpaid wages.