CHAIRMAN-CUM-MANAGING DIRECTOR FERTILIZER CORPORATION OF INDIA LTD. AND ANR. versus RAJESH CHANDRA SRIVASTAVA AND ORS.
[2022] 3 S.C.R. 84, Supreme Court of India, 2022
Outcome: Appeal(s) allowed (Granted)
Segment: Ratio
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   [2022] 3 S.C.R. 84
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CHAIRMAN-CUM-MANAGING DIRECTOR FERTILIZER
CORPORATION OF INDIA LTD. AND ANR.
v.
RAJESH CHANDRA SRIVASTAVA AND ORS.
(Civil Appeal No.2260 of 2022)
APRIL 7, 2022
[HEMANT GUPTA AND V. RAMASUBRAMANIAN, JJ.]
Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 – s.2(s) – Whether ad hoc
payment made by Management to the workers pursuant to interim
orders passed by Supreme Court in a previous round of litigation
could form part of “wages” within the meaning of the expression u/
s.2(s) of the Payment of Gratuity Act, for the purpose of calculating
gratuity, especially in the light of the order passed by Supreme Court
in the case of Shri Kashi Prasad Tripathi – Held: The order passed in
the case of Shri Kashi Prasad Tripathi does not deal with this question
– s.2(s) of the Act defines wages – Irrespective of whether what was
earned has been paid or remained payable, the same is included in
the definition, provided it is in accordance with the terms and
conditions of his employment – In the instant case, the employees
initiated the first round of litigation (writ petitions) before various
High Courts, for grant of the benefit of revision of pay scales, on
ground that the employees of other PSUs were granted revision on
par with the Government servants – Thus, what was claimed in the
first round of litigation was not what was payable in accordance
with the terms and conditions of employment – Therefore, the Supreme
Court (to
which the writ petitions got transferred) was clear in its
interim order as to how the ad hoc payment ordered thereunder
should be treated – Even in the final order (vide which the writ
petitions were eventually dismissed), the Supreme Court made it clear
that what was paid was only ad hoc – In a recent Supreme Court
decision, it was clarified that wages mean and include basic wages
and Dearness Allowance and nothing else – Ad hoc payment made
pursuant to the interim orders by Supreme Court will not form part
of the wages – Labour Laws.
Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 – s.2(s) – Definition of “wages”
– Held: The definition of the expression is in 3 parts, the first part
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indicating the meaning of the expression, the second part indicating
what is included therein and the third part indicating what is not
included therein – Labour Laws.
Judgment /Order – Interim order – Party who secured it, failed
in the final stage – Effect – Held: A party who is in enjoyment of an
interim order, is bound to lose the benefit of such interim order
when the ultimate outcome of the case goes against him.
Practice and Procedure – Appeals before Supreme Court, of
State or instrumentalities of State against individual litigants –
Refusal of Supreme Court to go into question of law in such cases –
Held: Cannot be treated as tantamounting to answering the question
of law in a particular manner – Whenever the State or
instrumentalities of State come up with appeals challenging small
benefits granted to individual litigants, the Supreme Court applies
the test of proportionality to see whether the quantum of benefits
granted to the individual concerned, justifies the examination of
the question of law, at the cost of that little man from a far off place
– Doctrines/Principles – Test of proportionality.
Allowing the appeals, the Court
HELD : 1. The order passed by this Court on 05.05.2015
in C.A.No.4258 of 2015 in the case of Shri Kashi Prasad Tripathi
does not deal with this question. The said order has gone on the
basis that the computation of the quantum of gratuity is exclusively
within the domain of the authorities under the statute and that
the
High Court is not competent to interfere with the same.
Therefore, the order passed in the case of Kashi Prasad Tripathi
cannot be taken to have laid down any law to the effect that the
ad hoc payment will form part of wages. The respondents,
therefore, cannot really take advantage of the order passed in
the case of Kashi Prasad Tripathi, merely on the ground that the
very same question of law was raised by the Management in the
civil appeal and thereafter in the petition for review and curative
petition. At times, this Court refuses to go into the questions of
law, when a single individual armed with an order in his favour
from the High Court is pitted against the State. Whenever the
State or instrumentalities of State come up with appeals challenging
small benefits granted to individual litigants, this Court applies the
CHAIRMAN-CUM-MANAGING DIRECTOR FERTILIZER CORP. OF INDIA
LTD. v. RAJESH CHANDRA SRIVASTAVA
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS
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test of proportionality to see whether the quantum of benefits granted
to the individual concerned, justifies the examination of the question
of law, at the cost of that little man from a far off place. The refusal
of this Court to go into the question of law in such cases, cannot be
treated as tantamounting to answering the question of law in a
particular manner. [Para 15][92-C-G]
2. Section 2(s) of the Act defines wages. The definition of
the expression is in 3 parts, the first part indicating the meaning
of the expression, the second part indicating what is included
therein and the third part indicating what is not included therein.
In the first part of the definition, the emphasis is on what is earned
by the employee “in accordance with the terms and conditions of
employment”. Irrespective of whether what was earned has been
paid or remained payable, the same is included in the definition,
provided it is in accordance with the terms and conditions of his
employment. [Paras 16, 17 and 18][92-H; 93-C-D]
3. In the instant case, the employees initiated the first
round of litigation before various High Courts, for the grant of
the benefit of revision of pay scales, way back in the year 1996,
on the ground that the employees of other PSUs have been
granted revision on par with the Government servants. Thus,
what was claimed in the first round of litigation was not what was
payable in accordance with the terms and
conditions of
employment. Therefore, this Court was clear in its interim order
dated 18.08.2000 as to how the ad hoc payment ordered there
under should be treated. Even in the final order, this Court made
it clear that what was paid was only ad hoc. [Para 19][93-E-F]
4. It is a fundamental principle of law that a party who is in
enjoyment of an interim order, is bound to lose the benefit of
such interim order when the ultimate outcome of the case goes
against him. Merely because of the fortuitous circumstance of
the Voluntary Separation Scheme coming into effect before the
transferred cases were finally dismissed by this Court by an order
dated 25.04.2003, creating an illusion as though the last drawn
pay included this ad hoc payment, it is not possible to go against
the fundamental rule that the benefits of an interim order would
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automatically go when the party who secured it, failed in the final
stage. [Para 20][93-G-H; 94-A]
5. In The Straw Board Manufacturing Co. Ltd. case, this
Court clarified the meaning of the expression “wages” under
Section 2(s) of the very same enactment, as follows: “We clarify
that wages will mean and included basic wages and Dearness
Allowance and nothing else”. [Para 21][94-B]
6. In view of the above, the Controlling Authority and the
Appellate Authority under the Act, holding that the ad hoc
payment made pursuant to the interim orders by this Court will
form part of the wages, are set aside. However, in view of the
efflux of time and taking into account the fact that few employees
are now no more, the Management is directed not to effect any
recovery, if payment has already been made to any of the
respondents or their families. [Para 22][94-C]
The Straw Board Manufacturing Co. Ltd. v. Its Workmen
(1977) 2 SCC 329 : [1977] 3 SCR 91 – relied on.
Case Law Reference
[1977] 3 SCR 91
 relied on
Para 21
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No.2260
of 2022.
From the Judgment and Order dated 11.07.2016 of the High Court
of Judicature at Allahabad in Writ-C No.29886 of 2016.
With
Civil Appeal Nos.2275, 2305, 2306, 2310, 2357, 2311, 2313, 2315,
2318, 2319, 2320, 2321, 2322, 2323, 2324, 2325, 2326, 2327, 2328, 2329,
2330, 2331, 2332, 2333, 2334, 2335, 2336, 2337, 2338, 2339, 2340, 2341,
2342, 2343, 2344, 2345, 2346, 2347, 2348, 2349, 2350, 2351, 2352,
2353,
2354, 2355, 2356, 2358-2359, 2317, 2262, 2269, 2268, 2264, 2263, 2267,
2265, 2261, 2266, 2270, 2271, 2272, 2273, 2274, 2276, 2285, 2286, 2287,
2288, 2289, 2290, 2291, 2284, 2292, 2280, 2278, 2293, 2294, 2277, 2283,
2295, 2282, 2279, 2296, 2297, 2298, 2299, 2300, 2281, 2301, 2303, 2307,
2302, 2308, 2309, 2312, 2304, 2314 and 2316 of 2022.
CHAIRMAN-CUM-MANAGING DIRECTOR FERTILIZER CORP. OF INDIA
LTD. v. RAJESH CHANDRA SRIVASTAVA
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Neeraj Kishan Kaul, Sr. Adv., Ms. Pritha Suri, Chirag Joshi,
Ghanshyam Joshi, Ms. Ira Mahajan, Advs. for the Appellants.
Bharat Sangal, Sr. Adv., Ms. Babita Kuswaha, Nagarkatti Kartik
Uday, Advs. for the Respondents.
Ms. Vernika Tomar, Adv. for the Intervenor.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
V. RAMASUBRAMANIAN, J.
1. The common question that arises for consideration in this batch
of appeals, is as to whether an ad hoc payment made to the workers
pursuant to the interim orders passed by this Court in a previous round
of litigation could form part of “wages” within the meaning of the
expression under Section 2(s) of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972
(hereinafter referred to as the “Act”), for the purpose of calculating
gratuity.
2. We have heard learned counsel for the parties.
3. The scales of pay of the employees of public sector undertakings
were revised w.e.f. 01.01.1992. When the benefit of such revision was
not made available to the employees of Fertiliser Corporation of India
Limited and Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation Limited, their employees
moved writ petitions in various High Courts, in the year 1996.
4. At the instance of the Union of India, the writ petitions pending
on the file of various High Courts were transferred to this Court. By an
interim order dated 18.08.2000, this Court directed an ad hoc monthly
payment of Rs.1500/-, Rs.1000/-, Rs.750/- and Rs.500/-, respectively to
four different
categories of employees, as an interim measure, subject
to the final outcome of the writ petitions which stood transferred to this
Court. The said interim order dated 18.08.2000 reads as follows:-
“Having heard learned Solicitor General for the applicant-Union
of India and Learned Senior Counsel, Mr. Sanyal, for the contesting
Respondents, purely as an adhoc measure and without prejudice
to the rights and contentions of the parties in the main matter, we
deem it fit in the interest of justice to modify our order dated
19.01.2000 to the following effect:
(i)
The authorities shall pay as an adhoc measure and on
account Rs. 1,500/- to Class-I employees; Rs. 1,000/- to
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Class-II employees; Rs. 750/- to Class-III
employees;
Rs. 500/- to Class-IV employees consisting of various
categories in each of the Classes; per month with effect
from___. This payment will be without prejudice to the rights
and contentions of the parties in the pending matters.
(ii)
We make it clear that this order will not affect whatever
payment by way of HRA is being released or was released
by the authorities to the employees concerned.
(iii)
The direction about payments as earlier issued by us on
19.04.2000 will stand modified by the present order.
(iv)
According to this order all arrears with effect from
01.04.2000 to 31.07.2000 will be cleared within ten weeks
from today and the current payment he made with effect
from 01.08.2000 along with the salary payable for the month
of August, 2000.
(v)
Future payments shall accordingly be made from month to
month regularly along with usual salaries payable to them.
This order is passed purely as an ad hoc measure and will not
come in the way of the ultimate decision of this Court. This order will
also not be treated as a precedent in any matter in view of the special
facts of the present case. We express no opinion about the nature of the
order passed by learned Single Judge of the High Court. That question
will abide by the decision in the main matter. In view of the present
order, I.A.S. are disposed off…”
5. In the year 2002, the Government of India ordered the closure
of the fertiliser units of these
public sector undertakings and introduced
a Voluntary Separation Scheme (for short “the Scheme”). According to
the Management of these companies, 5675 out of 5712 employees of
Fertiliser Corporation opted to go out under the Scheme. Due to this
development, the writ petitions which got transferred to this Court were
eventually dismissed by a final order dated 25.04.2003. In the said final
order, this Court recorded that economic viability or the financial capacity
of the employer is an important factor which cannot be ignored while
fixing the wage structure and that the materials on record clearly revealed
that both these companies were suffering heavy losses for several years.
It was also recorded in the final order passed by this Court that the
CHAIRMAN-CUM-MANAGING DIRECTOR FERTILIZER CORP. OF INDIA
LTD. v. RAJESH CHANDRA SRIVASTAVA [V. RAMASUBRAMANIAN, J.]
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interim relief was purely an ad hoc measure. The relevant portion of
the final order of this Court dated 25.04.2003 reads as follows:-
“…The order passed by this Court on 19.04.2000 clearly recorded
that a limited relief to all the employees of the two companies
was being granted purely as ad hoc measure and without prejudice
to the rights and contentions of all concerned. This was reiterated
in the subsequent order dated 18.08.2000 when it was said that
the order was being passed purely as ad hoc measure and will not
come in the way of the ultimate decision of the Court. The principal
relief claimed by the petitioners is against Union of India and
Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises (respondent nos. 3
and 4) as it is they who have issued the impugned memorandum
dated 19.07.1995 which places embargo upon the revision of pay
scale of employees of sick PSUs registered with BIFR. Factually
there being no compromise or settlement on behalf of respondent
nos. 3 and 4 for payment of revised salary as they had never
agreed to do so and the orders passed by this Court on 19.04.2000
and 18.08.2000 having clearly indicated that they were being
passed by way of ad hoc measure and were not to come in any
way in the ultimate decision of the case, it is not possible to hold
that there was any compromise or settlement at any earlier state
which entitled the petitioners to get revised salary…”
6. Once the curtain was finally
drawn on their very employment,
the employees started filing applications before the Controlling Authority
under the Act. In their applications before the Controlling Authority, the
employees included the ad hoc payment made pursuant to the interim
orders of this Court, as part of the wages.
7. The Controlling Authority started passing orders in the
applications filed by the employees individually, treating the ad hoc
payment as part of the wages.
8. One of the orders so passed by the Controlling Authority was
in respect of an employee by name Shri Kashi Prasad Tripathi.
9. Since the orders of the Controlling Authority were contrary to
the interim orders as well as the final orders passed by this Court, the
Management of these companies moved an application before this Court
for clarification/modification of the order. But by an order dated
01.05.2008, this Court disposed of the interim application by just observing
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that when the final order is passed, the interim order automatically comes
to an end.
10. Understanding the said order differently, the Appellate authority
under the Act dismissed the appeals filed by the Management. Therefore,
the Management filed writ petitions on the file of the High Court.
11. In so far as the case of Shri Kashi Prasad Tripathi is concerned,
the Management filed a writ petition in W.P.No.798 of 2009 which came
to be allowed by a learned Single Judge of the Allahabad High Court,
based upon a judgment of a Division Bench of the Patna High Court.
Shri Kashi Prasad Tripathi, unsuccessfully challenged the orders of the
learned Single Judge before a Division Bench. Therefore, Shri Kashi
Prasad Tripathi filed a special leave petition in SLP(C) No.972 of 2014.
This SLP was allowed by this Court by an order dated 05.05.2015 in
C.A.No.4258 of 2015. The order of this Court in the case of Shri Kashi
Prasad Tripathi in C.A.No.4258 of 2015 dated 05.05.2015 reads as
follows:-
“Leave granted.
The appellant, aggrieved by the order of the High Court
wherein the controlling authority and the appellate authority have
calculated the payment of gratuity payable to the appellant herein,
in exercise of its power under Article 227 of the Constitution,
without considering the computation made which, in our considered
opinion, is not under the jurisdiction of the High Court. Having
regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the material
available on
record and the rival legal submissions, we are of the
view that the High Court should not have interfered with the
calculation of payment of gratuity and ad hoc payment with interest.
Hence, the appellant shall succeed 2 in this appeal. Accordingly,
the appeal is allowed.
It is needless to mention that the question raised by
respondent no. 2 is kept open.”
12. The Management filed a petition for review. It was dismissed
on 13.08.2015. The curative petition was also dismissed on 03.03.2016.
13. Following the order passed by this Court in C.A.No.4258 of
2015 on 05.05.2015, in the case of Shri Kashi Prasad Tripathi, the High
Court of Allahabad dismissed all the writ petitions filed in respect of the
CHAIRMAN-CUM-MANAGING DIRECTOR FERTILIZER CORP. OF INDIA
LTD. v. RAJESH CHANDRA SRIVASTAVA [V. RAMASUBRAMANIAN, J.]
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other employees. Therefore, challenging such orders in the case of other
employees, the Management of the Fertiliser Corporation has come up
with a batch of 98 appeals. The Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation has
come up with one appeal that arises out of similar judgment of the Calcutta
High Court.
14. Therefore, the short question that arises for consideration is
as to whether the ad hoc monthly payment made by the Management
pursuant to the interim orders passed by this Court on 18.08.2000, is
liable to be treated as part of the wages within the sweep of the said
expression under Section 2(s) of the Act, especially in the light of the
order passed by this Court in the case of Shri Kashi Prasad Tripathi.
15. We have already extracted the order passed by this Court on
05.05.2015 in C.A.No.4258 of 2015 in the case of Shri Kashi Prasad
Tripathi. The said order does not deal with this question. The said order
has gone on the basis that the computation of the quantum of gratuity is
exclusively within the domain of the authorities under the statute and
that the High Court is not competent to interfere with the same. Therefore,
the order passed in the case of Kashi Prasad Tripathi cannot be taken to
have laid down any law to the effect that the ad hoc payment will form
part of wages. The respondents, therefore, cannot really take advantage
of the order passed in the case of Kashi Prasad Tripathi, merely on the
ground that the
very same question of law was raised by the Management
in the civil appeal and thereafter in the petition for review and curative
petition. At times, this Court refuses to go into the questions of law,
when a single individual armed with an order in his favour from the High
Court is pitted against the State. Whenever the State or instrumentalities
of State come up with appeals challenging small benefits granted to
individual litigants, this Court applies the test of proportionality to
see whether the quantum of benefits granted to the individual
concerned, justifies the examination of the question of law, at the
cost of that little man from a far off place. The refusal of this Court
to go into the question of law in such cases, cannot be treated as
tantamounting to answering the question of law in a particular
manner. Therefore, dehors order of this Court in Kashi Prasad Tripathi,
we are obliged to deal with the question of law that arises in this batch.
16. Section 2(s) of the Act defines wages, as follows:-
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“2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise
requires,—
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(s) ”wages” means all emoluments which are earned by an
employee while on duty or on leave in accordance with the terms
and conditions of his employments and which are paid or are
payable to him in cash and includes dearness allowance but does
not include any bonus, commission, house rent allowance, overtime
wages and any other allowance.”
17. The definition of the expression is in 3 parts, the first part
indicating the meaning of the expression, the second part indicating what
is included therein and the third part indicating what is not included therein.
In the first part of the definition, the emphasis is on what is earned by the
employee “in accordance with the terms and conditions of
employment” .
18. Irrespective of whether what was earned has been paid or
remained payable, the same is included in the definition, provided it is
in accordance with the terms and conditions of his employment.
19. Keeping in mind the above definition, if we go back to historical
facts, it would be clear that the employees initiated the first round of
litigation before various High Courts, for the grant of the benefit of
revision of pay scales, way back in the year 1996, on the ground that the
employees of other PSUs have been granted revision on par with the
Government servants. It will thus be clear that what was claimed in the
first round of litigation was not what was payable in
accordance with
the terms and conditions of employment. Therefore, this Court was clear
in its interim order dated 18.08.2000 as to how the ad hoc payment
ordered there under should be treated. Even in the final order, this Court
made it clear that what was paid was only ad hoc.
20. It is a fundamental principle of law that a party who is in
enjoyment of an interim order, is bound to lose the benefit of such interim
order when the ultimate outcome of the case goes against him. Merely
because of the fortuitous circumstance of the Voluntary Separation
Scheme coming into effect before the transferred cases were finally
dismissed by this Court by an order dated 25.04.2003, creating an illusion
as though the last drawn pay included this ad hoc payment, it is not
CHAIRMAN-CUM-MANAGING DIRECTOR FERTILIZER CORP. OF INDIA
LTD. v. RAJESH CHANDRA SRIVASTAVA [V. RAMASUBRAMANIAN, J.]
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possible to go against the fundamental rule that the benefits of an interim
order would automatically go when the party who secured it, failed in
the final stage.
21. In The Straw Board Manufacturing Co. Ltd. vs. Its
Workmen1 this Court clarified the meaning of the expression “wages”
under Section 2(s) of the very same enactment, as follows: “We clarify
that wages will mean and included basic wages and Dearness
Allowance and nothing else”.
22. In view of the above, the appeals are allowed and the orders
of the High Court, the Controlling Authority and the Appellate Authority
under the Act, holding that the ad hoc payment made pursuant to the
interim orders by this Court will form part of the wages, are set aside.
However, in view of the efflux of time and taking into account the fact
that few employees are now no more, we direct the Management not to
effect any recovery, if payment has already been made to any of the
respondents or their families. There will be no order as to costs.
1 (1977) 2 SCC 329
Bibhuti Bhushan Bose
Appeals allowed.