HC issues notices on petition by labourers seeking regularization of services at army base

GANGTOK, 15 March: The High Court of Sikkim has issued notices to the Central government and the army establishment based here against a petition filed by labourers demanding regularization of their services. A total of 16 daily wage labourers engaged at the Army base here in Sikkim have moved the High Court demanding that their services be regularized. They have also demanded that they be provided wages as per central government regulations.
The daily wage labourers are engaged by the army supply unit for loading, unloading, stacking and maintaining of stocks, and, by definition, are engaged for the welfare of the troops here. As per their submission, the labourers have been engaged by the army for around 10 years or more. The labourers were provided by the Department of Personnel, Government of Sikkim on muster roll to the army establishment after the army had sought them for the army supply corps.
After having worked as daily wage labourers for a number of years, the lot of 16 is now seeking regularization of services; moreover, they have also sought that they be provided daily wages under the central regulations. At present, their wages are computed under the State regulations which is said to be lower than what the central government provides as minimum daily wage for their kind of work. The army contends that the rules were already known to the said labourers when they were engaged and further that the workers are hardly engaged for more than 20 days a month.
The labourers had earlier also sought redressal of their grievances in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Kolkata, where their petition was dismissed. It is learnt that the CAT noted that their subject matter did not fall under the Tribunals’ Act and further suggested that they approach the appropriate authority.
Subsequently, the petition was filed here in the high court and last week the court issued notices to the respondents.