'Relief to MSRTC daily wagers, casual workers'

New Delhi, Mar 4: In a major relief to the daily wagers ofMaharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), the Supreme Courthas directed that all the daily wagers and casual workers of MSRTC, whohad joined after August 31, 1978, will be entitled to the benefitsgiven to regular employees of the Corporation working on time scale ofpay.

While dismissing the appeal of MSRTC, a bench comprising JusticesS H Kapadia and B Sudershan Reddy ruled, ''In the circumstances,notwithstanding cancellation of clause 49 of 1956 Settlement, theworkmen herein would be entitled to all benefits admissible to regularemployees working in the Corporation on time scale of pay provided theysatisfy the eligibility criteria of having worked for aggregate serviceof 180 days subject to their satisfying all the conditions prescribedfor their entitlement in terms of the above resolution number 8856 readwith clause 19 of 1985 Settlement.'' The court also noted that in thepresent case, workmen were notseeking absorption and they had reservedtheir right to seek adjudication in that regard in a separate forum.

The controversy started when one of the workers filed a complaintin Industrial Court at Nagpur alleging that he was appointed as dailywager getting Rs 11.76 per day and had not been regularised to deprivehim of the benefits of the regular employees working on time scale ofpay despite working continuously without a break.

The Industrial court directed the Corporation to regularise the complainant from the day he had filed the complaint.

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