IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S.SIRI JAGAN MONDAY, THE 16TH JUNE 2008 / 26TH JYAISHTA 1930 WP(C).No. 40392 of 2003(H) -------------------------- PETITIONER: ------------ 1. R.RAVINDRAN NAIR, KULEKKATTU PADINJAREPURA NANGARAM, M.S.M. P.O., PANDALAM. 2. P.P.SIVARAMA PILLAI, PANIKKARAYATHU VEEDU, MUDIYOORKONAM P.O., PANDALAM. 3. V.G.RAMACHANDRAN PILLAI, VADAKKEDATHU PADINJATTATHIL, VENMONI P.O., VENMONI. 4. MOHANAN NAIR, CHAKALA KUZHIYIL, MANGARAM, M.S.M. P.O., PANDALAM. 5. U.PAPPACHAN, MARIAMMA MANDIRAM, POOZHIKKAD, KUDASSANAD P.O. 6. G.VARGHESE, PADINJARE MUKKATTU VADAKKATHIL, POOZHIKKAD, KADASSANAD P.O., PANDALAM. 7. GOPIKUTTAN NAIR, NARAYANA KURUP, MUKKODI THEKKATHIL, KURAMPALA SOUTH P.O., PANDALAM. 8. RAMACHANDRAN PILLAI, RAGHAVAN THANKAL, AKKINATTITHU VEEDU, KUDASSANADU P.O., PANDALAM. 9. R.RAMACHANDRAN PILLAI, MUKKODI VADAKKATHIL, KIZHAKKEPURA, KURAMBALA SOUTH P.O., PANDALAM. 10. E.N.GOPI, EDAYILE PURAYIL, MANGARAM, M.S.M. P.O., PANDALAM. 11. CHELLAPPAN UNNITHAN, KIZHAKKE EREAKKAL, KUDASANAD P.O., PANDALAM. 12. N.RAMACHANDRAN THANGAL, AMBIKA BHAVANAM, PALAMEL, PADANILAM P.O., PANDALAM. 13. A.KOCHUCHERUKKAN, PADINJARE MUKKATH, KUDASSANAD P.O., PANDALAM. 14. R.KRISHNA PILLAI, KARINGODATHU VEEDU, THONNALLOOR P.O., PANDALAM. 15. N.BHASKARAN PILLAI NARAYANA KAURUP, CHELUKUNNIL MELATHIL VADAKKATHIL, POOZHIKKAD, KUDASSANAD P.O., PANDALAM. 16. K.CHELLAPPAN, THUNDIL VEEDU, MANGARAM, M.S.M. P.O., PANDALAM. 17. K.SAMUEL, MANGALATHU THEKKATHIL, POOZHIKKAD, KUDASSANAD P.O., PANDALAM. 18. JANARDHANAN PILLAI KUNJAN PILLAI, B.NO.324, PRIYA SADANAM, PANANGAD P.O., KULANADA. 19. G.DAMODARAN PILLAI, VIJAYA SADANAM, KURAMPALA, PANDALAM P.O. 20. A.VELUTHA KUNU, KOOTTAMVETTIVADAKKATHIL, MANGARAM, M.S.M. P.O., PANDALAM. 21. N.GOPALAKRISHNA PILLAI, VELLAPPILLIL VEEDU, MUTTAM P.O., THUMPAMON. 22. N.JANARDHANAN, PRASANNA BHAVANAM, KIDANGAYAM, NOORNAD. 23. K.RAMAKRISHNA PILLAI, PAMPARA VEEDU, MUDIYOORKONAM P.O., PANDALAM. 24. K.GOPALA PILLAI, KOZHUKIZHAKKETHIL, PALAMEL, PADANILAM P.O., PANDALAM. 25. V.PODIYAN, THAVAYIL PADINJATTATHIL, ULAVAKKAD, NOORNAD P.O. 26. R.PADMANABHAN NAIR, ANIL BHAVANAM, MATTAPPALLY, NOORNAD P.O. 27. N.RAMAKRISHNA KURUP, KALLUVELIL KIZHAKKATHIL, ULANAD P.O., KULANADA. 28. T.N.SREEDHARAN PILLAI, CHELADATHU VADAKKATHIL, KAIPUZHA, KULANADA P.O. 29. R.SURENDRAN, MANI BHAVAN, MANGARAM, M.S.M. P.O., PANDALAM, PATHANAMTHITTA DIST. 30. K.THANKAPPAN, ELLUVILAYIL VEEDU, ULAVAKKAD, NOORNAD P.O. 31. K.S.SANKARAN, KALATHALA PARAMBIL, THONNALLOOR, PANDALAM P.O. 32. P.T.NARAYANA PILLAI, KOOVALAPARAMBIL, KURAMPALA, PANDALAM P.O., PATHANAMTHITTA DIST. 33. RAJAN PILLAI PARAMESWARANN PILLAI, KARIMALA VALAYATHU VEEDU, ULANAD P.O.,KULANADA. 34. R.RETNAKUMARAN PILLAI, KOLLAYIL VADAKKATHIL VEEDU, POOZHIKKAD, KUDASSANAD P.O. 35. BHASKARAN SANKARAN, KOTTAMVETTIYIL, MANGARAM, M.S.M. P.O., PANDALAM. 36. M.SREEDHARAN PILLAI, KIZHAKKE PUTHEN VEEDU, PALAMEL, NOORNAD. 37. N.BHARGAVAN, PADINJAREMANAKKADU, KUDASSANADU P.O., PANDALAM. BY ADV. SRI.K.S.MANU (PUNUKKONNOOR) SRI.P.SREEKUMAR RESPONDENTS: ------------- THE GENERAL MANAGER, THE MANNAM SUGAR MILLS CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD. NO.4324, PANDALAM, PATHANAMTHITTA DISTRICT. BY ADV. SRI.K.ANAND (A.201) SMT.LATHA KRISHNAN THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 16/06/2008, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: W.P(C).No. 40392/03. APPENDIX PETITIONER'S EXHIBITS: P1. COPY OF THE CIRCULAR DTD.17.11.95. P2. COPY OF THE SCHEME. P3. COPY OF THE ORDER DTD.5.1.01. P4. COPY OF THE ORDER DTD.20.6.01. P5. COPY OF THE ORDER DTD.28.1.03 BY THE LABOUR COURT. Sdk+ ///True copy/// P.A. to Judge S.SIRI JAGAN, J. ================== W.P.(C).No.40392 of 2003 ================== Dated this the 16th day of June, 2008 J U D G M E N T The petitioners were workmen of the 1st respondent Co- operative Society. They filed applications under Section 33C(2) of the Industrial Disputes Act before the Labour Court, Kollam, claiming retrenchment compensation allegedly available to them under the Industrial Disputes Act. Later, they amended the claim petitions seeking payment of 45 days' wages as amounts payable on voluntarily retirement as per the scheme formulated by the 1st respondent, as per which, according to the petitioners, they were eligible for 45 days' wages as compensation calculated on the basis of their last drawn wages. The grievance of the petitioners was that instead of calculating the compensation due on the basis of the last drawn wages, compensation was calculated based on the retaining allowance being paid to the petitioners on the date of voluntary retirement. According to me, the question as to whether the benefits are to be paid on the basis of retaining allowance or last drawn wages itself was in dispute which ought w.p.c.40392/03 2 to have been raised as an I.D. under the Industrial Disputes Act and could not have been considered in an application under Section 33C(2) in so far the legal status of the petitioners was in dispute. The petitioners were admittedly seasonal employees. After 1982-1983 there was no work in the society. From then onwards as per a conciliation settlement, the petitioners were not being paid any salary, but retaining allowance unlike the regular employees. It is under the above circumstances that while opting for voluntary retirement, the petitioners were paid compensation based on the retaining allowance. This was upheld by the Labour Court by Ext.P5 common order in all the claim petitions filed by the petitioners. I do not find any perversity in the findings in Ext.P5 order without which I cannot interfere with Ext.P5. Therefore, I do not find any merit in the writ petition and accordingly, the same is dismissed. Sd/- sdk+ S.SIRI JAGAN, JUDGE ///True copy/// P.A. to Judge w.p.c.40392/03 3