Ram Bhajan And Others vs State Of Punjab And Others

Tejinder Singh Dhindsa, J

Petitioners are working on different posts under the Municipal Council, Abohar.

A Mandamus has been sought directing the respondents to calculate their emoluments and thereby to grant to them the financial benefit in lieu of

having performed duties on Saturdays. Challenge has been raised to the orders dated 5.2.2015 and 5.3.2015 (Annexures P-7 & P-8) whereby the

claim of the petitioners afore-noticed has been rejected.

Identical issue already stands examined by a Coordinate Bench of this Court in a bunch of writ petitions decided vide common judgement dated

2.8.2018 passed in CWP-7826-2017 (State of Punjab v. Shudish Kumar @ Sudish Kumar) and other connected petitions.

The precise issue considered and dealt with by the Coordinate Bench was as to whether the workmen who were working as “Field Staff†are

entitled to wages for working on Saturdays. The bunch of 29 writ petitions were directed against the order dated 1.2.2016 passed by the Industrial

Tribunal, Bathinda wherein the claim of wages for working on Saturdays had been allowed. By virtue of judgement dated 2.8.2018 passed in Shudish

Kumar's case (supra) the order of the Industrial Tribunal, Bathinda has been held to be patently illegal and has been set aside. A view has been taken

that the ‘Field Staff’ have no existent right to claim wages for work done on Saturdays as they were on a six day per week schedule with the

advantage of additional casual leave and other benefits which is not available to the office staff.

The claim raised in the instant petition stands squarely covered against the petitioners in terms of judgement dated 2.8.2018 passed in Shudish

Kumar's case (supra).

Petition, accordingly, is dismissed in terms of judgement rendered in Shudish Kumar's case (supra).