Starion India Pvt. Ltd. v. Presiding officer Labour Court U. P.
2023-10-03
PIYUSH AGRAWAL
body2023
DigiLaw.ai
JUDGMENT Piyush Agrawal, J. Heard Shri Karshit Nigam, learned counsel for the petitioner, learned standing counsel for State - respondents and Shri Jamal Ahmad Khan, learned counsel for the respondent no. 3. 2. This writ petition has been filed against the impugned award dated 16.08.2022 (published on 10.10.2022) passed by the respondent no. 1 as well as the order dated 24.050.2022 passed by the respondent no. 1. 3. The brief facts of the case are that the respondent no. 3 was appointed as Helper in the year 2002 in the petitioner - establishment. On 23.08.2008, the respondent no. 3 was given a charge sheet for misbehaviour with the H.R. Manager of the petitioner and directed to be remain present for participation in domestic inquiry. After finding the explanation of the respondent no. 3 to be unsatisfactory, the respondent no. 3 was directed to be present for domestic inquiry on 16.09.2008, in which the respondent no. did not participate and therefore, again second show cause notice was issued on 13.10.2008 and after concluding the domestic inquiry, the respondent no. 3 was terminated from service vide order dated 22.01.2009. Thereafter, an industrial dispute was raised and the State Government referred the matter raising industrial dispute for adjudication before the labour court. On 19.08.2013, the respondent no. 3 filed written statement stating that his services have illegally been terminated, to which the petitioner filed its reply. After exchange of pleadings, the respondent no. 1, vide award dated 16.08.2022, reinstated the respondent no. 3 with full back wages and other consequential benefits. Thereafter, the petitioner moved an application under section 21(d) of the Industrial Disputes Act, which was rejected by the respondent no. 1 vide order dated 24.05.2022. Thereafter, the petitioner moved a recall application, which was also rejected by the respondent no. 1 vide order dated 28.04.2023. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the impugned award is non-speaking, unreasoned and devoid of merits. The court below has not adjudicated the claim of the workman and without discussing the claim and counter claims of the parties, the impugned award has been passed.
1 vide order dated 28.04.2023. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the impugned award is non-speaking, unreasoned and devoid of merits. The court below has not adjudicated the claim of the workman and without discussing the claim and counter claims of the parties, the impugned award has been passed. He further submits that the court below has also erred in rejecting the recall application filed by the petitioner on the ground that the petitioner has not approached the Court with clean hands, which is incorrect as from the perusal of the order sheet, it is evident that the petitioner was present on every occasion from 1.01.2022 to 17.05.2022, but due to unforeseen reason, the petitioner could not attend on 24.05.2022, on which date the judgement in the award was reserved. He further submits that the court below has passed the ex parte award without examining the case on merits and without taking or discussing any evidence of the respondent no. 3 to prove that he was unemployed after termination for the last 13 years. In support of his submissions, learned counsel for the petitioner has placed reliance on the judgements of this Court in M/s Laxmi Palace (Cinema) v. Presiding Officer, Labour Court, Varanasi & Others [ 2005 (105) FLR 325 ] and M/s Devyani Beverages Limited v. Labour Court - II, Ghaziabad & others [ 2006 (108) FLR 426 ]. He prays for allowing the writ petition. 5. Rebutting the submissions of learned counsel for the petitioner, learned counsel for the respondent no. 3 submits that the petitioner had illegally and arbitrarily terminated the services of the respondent no. 3 without making compliance of the provisions contained under section 6-N of the U.P. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. He further submits that the court below has passed the award on the basis of the pleadings and documents as well as oral evidence before it and found the termination order as illegal. He further submits that the recall application of the petitioner was rejected as the petitioner did not appear before the court below to press the application and as such, there is no illegality in the order dated 24.05.2022. The award has been passed after giving ample opportunity to the petitioner, but the petitioner chose not to appear before the court.
He further submits that the recall application of the petitioner was rejected as the petitioner did not appear before the court below to press the application and as such, there is no illegality in the order dated 24.05.2022. The award has been passed after giving ample opportunity to the petitioner, but the petitioner chose not to appear before the court. In support of his submissions, he has paced reliance on the judgements of this Court in M/s Kirti Metform Limited v. State of U.P. & 4 Others (Writ C No. 20462/2022 decided on 06.09.2023) and M/s Sarion Indian Private Limited v. State of U.P. & 3 Others (Writ C No. 20240/2022 order dated 26.07.2022). He prays for dismissal of the writ petition. 6. After hearing the learned counsel for the parties, the Court has perused the records. 7. It is undisputed that the amount awarded has been passed without adverting to the material placed by the workman in his support. The labour court has just believe the written statement and the affidavit filed by the workman, which shows that the court below has not examined the same in a judicial manner. Further, the labour court has not examined the merit of the claim and has not recorded its satisfaction as per the provisions of the Act. The decision on merit must have its genesis on the material fact on record. 8. In view of the foregoing discussions as well as the judgements of this Court in M/s Laxmi Palace (Cinema) (supra) and M/s Devyani Beverages Limited (supra), the award under challenge, as well as the consequential orders, cannot be sustained in the eyes of law. 9. The impugned award dated 16.08.2022 (published on 10.10.2022) passed by the respondent no. 1 in Adjudication Case No. 82/2012 as well as the consequential orders dated 24.05.2022 and 28.04.2023 are hereby quashed. 10. The matter is relegated to the Labour Court for decision afresh in accordance with law after affording opportunity to all stake holders, preferably, within a period of four months from the date of production of a certified copy of this order. 11. The writ petition succeeds and is allowed, but subject to deposit of Rs. 30,000/- as cost by the petitioner in the form of bank draft before the Labour Court concerned within a period of 15 days from today.