SC upholds IHC judgment in Wage Board award implementation case
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the judgment of Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a case regarding implementation of Wage Board Award.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan heard the civil petitions filed by Nida-e-Millat Pvt. Ltd. against IHC verdict issued on November 09, 2016.
The court in its written order stated, "We are not convinced that the defence set out by the petitioner in these matters has invalidly been struck off by the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (the Tribunal) for the implementation of 7th Wage Board Awards. The concerned Award had already attained finality, therefore, the learned High Court has rightly dismissed the writ petitions filed against the order passed by the Tribunal. No case for interference has been made out. Dismissed accordingly."
It is pertinent to mention here that Liaqat Ali & others filed applications before the Chairman, Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees, Islamabad, for grant of benefits as per Wage Board Award since their appointments.
They prayed that the respondent management may be directed to fix wages as per Wage Board Award since appointment and regularization of whole service as per NECOSA, 1973, and arrears accrued after implementation of the Wage Board Award i.e. 5th, 6th and 7th Wage Board Award may please be allowed.
The tribunal heard the parties and decided the case in favour of petitioners and directed the respondent to pay a sum of Rs 877,029 to the petitioner within a month. Nida-e-Millat challenged the decision of the Tribunal before the Islamabad High Court.
The Islamabad High Court upheld the Tribunal Order of December 09, 2015. After that Nida-e-Millat challenged the IHC judgment before the Supreme Court and prayed that leave to appeal may kindly be granted against IHC judgment.
The Supreme Court after hearing arguments of both parties dismissed the petition.