SHAHZAR KHAN Versus SIND LABOUR COURT NO. KARACHI
This appeal arises from an order of the High Court dismissing a Constitution petition regarding the termination of the appellant, a Head-Chowkidar and Assistant Manager (Security). The core legal question was whether the appellant qualified as a 'workman' under the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969, and whether his termination was lawful. The Supreme Court held that the appellant was indeed a 'workman' under the definition provided in the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969, noting that the High Court had erroneously applied the West Pakistan Industrial and Commercial Employment (Standing Orders) Ordinance, 1968, instead of the relevant Ordinance. The Court established the principle that the definition of 'workman' under the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969, is broad and covers employees regardless of the specific nature of their duties, provided they do not fall within the definition of an employer. However, the Court declined to remand the matter for further proceedings because the appellant had admitted the allegations of misconduct during the inquiry, which had been conducted fairly and impartially. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and the termination of services was upheld.
- Does a Head-Chowkidar qualify as a 'workman' under the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969?
- Is the definition of 'workman' under the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969, limited to those performing manual or clerical work?
- Should a case be remanded for reconsideration on merits if the employee has already admitted to the allegations of misconduct?
- Section 25-A, Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969
- President's Order No. 1 of 1972 (Economic Reforms Order, 1972)
- Section 2(xxviii), Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969
- Section 2(viii), Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969
- Ordinance IX of 1972
- Act 29 of 1973
- Section 2(n), Industrial Disputes Ordinance, 1959
- West Pakistan Industrial and Commercial Employment (Standing Orders) Ordinance, 1968
1. SALAHUDDIN AHMED, J.‑ This appeal by special leave of this Court is from an order of a learned Single Judge of the High Court of Sind & Baluchistan dismissing the appellant's Constitution petition.
2. The appellant was employed under respondent No. 3, Sind Alkalis Limited, as Head‑Chowkidar and Assistant Manager, Security, on a monthly salary of Rs. 350. On the 2nd of November, 1.972, he was charged with having illegally taken away to his house a gun and a packet of cartridges belonging to the respondent and supplied to the former in connection with his duties. As the result of an inquiry duly held the appellant's services were terminated on the 9th of December, 1972, by the Personnel Manager under the direction of the Managing Director of respondent No. 3. It appears that the factory was taken over by the Government under President's Order No. 1 of 1,972 (Economic Reforms Order, 1972) in January 1972, and it was renamed as 'Sind Alkalis Limited' (respondent No. 3 herein).
3. The appellant approached the Junior Labour Court No, 5 (respondent No. 2 herein) under section 25‑A of the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969 (XXIII of 1969) (hereinafter called the Ordinance) for re‑instatement, but the application was dismissed on the 28th of July, 1973. The appellant was found to by a "workman" and the inquiry against bin was found to have been held fairly and impartially. It was, however, held that in view of the provisions of Economic Reforms Order, 1972 (President's Order No. 1 of 1972) the Court had no jurisdiction to entertain the application.
4. The appellant preferred an appeal before the Sind Labour Court No. 4 (respondent No. 1 herein), but it was dismissed on the ground that the appellant was not a "workman" within the meaning of the Ordinance. It was, however, held that the jurisdiction of the Labour Court was not barred under the Economic Reforms Ordinance, 1972.
5. The appellant approached the High Court on a Constitution petition and it was dismissed on the ground that the appellant was not a "work man".
6. It may be stated here that except the Junior Labour Court, no other Court proceeded to consider the dismissal of the appellant on, merit.
7. Before we proceed to consider the question whether the appellant is a "workman" within the meaning of the Ordinance, we may point out that the finding of the High Court is, indeed, curious for all the reasons that precede the finding indicate that the appellant is a "workman".
8. "Worker" and "workman" has been defined thus in section 2 (xxxiii) of the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969, as it stood on the relevant ,date:‑
9. "(xxviii). 'Worker' and 'workman' mean any person not falling within the definition of employer who is employed (including employment as a supervisor or as an apprentice) in an establishment or industry for hire or reward either directly or through a contractor whether the terms of employment be expressed or implied, and, for tile purpose of any proceedings under this Ordinance in relation to an industrial dispute includes a person who has been dismissed, discharged, retrenched, laid off or otherwise removed from employment in connec tion with or as a consequence of that dispute or whose dismissal, discharge, retrenchment, Jay off, or removal has led to that dispute, but does not include any person‑
(a) who is employed mainly in a managerial or administrative capacity, or
(b) who, being employed in a supervisory capacity, draws wages exceeding eight hundred rupees per mensem or performs, either because of the nature of duties attached to the office car by reason of the powers vested in him, functions mainly of a managerial authority.
10. Explanation‑'Supervisor' means a worker immediately above the lowest level of workers in an establishment or industry who has supervisory duties but no power to engage or remove, take any other disciplinary action against another worker by his own authority."
11. It may be mentioned that the words "as a supervisor" and the Explana tion were added in section 2 (xxviii) of the Ordinance by Ordnance IX of 1972 promulgated on the 13th of April, 1972. The Explanation was subsequently dropped by Act 29 of 1973 on the 9th February, 1973. This omission, however, does not affect the case of the appellant for his services were terminated at a time when the Explanation was still there, "Employer" has been defined in section 2 (viii) of the Ordinance in the, following manner:‑
12. "2 (viii).‑'Employer', in relation to an establishment, means any person or body of persons, whether incorporated or not, who or which employs workmen in the establishment under a contract of employment and includes‑
(a) an heir, successor or assign as the case may be, of such person or body as aforesaid
(b) any person responsible for the management, supervision and control of the establishment ;
(c) in relation to an establishment rim by or under the authority of any Department of the Central Government, or Provincial Government, the authority appointed in this behalf or, where no authority is so appointed, the Head of the Department ;
(d) in relation to an establishment run by or ran behalf of a local authority, tree officer appointed in this behalf, or, where no officer is so appointed, the chief executive officer of that authority ;
13. Special provision.‑For the purposes of distinction from the category of 'workers' or `workmen', officers and employees of a Depart ment of the Central Government or a Provincial Government or a local authority who belong to the superior managerial, secretarial, directorial, supervisory or agency staff and who have been notified for this purpose in the official Gazette shall be deemed to fall within the category of employee.
(e) in relation to any other establishment, the proprietor of such establishment and every director, manager, secretary, agent or other officer or person concerned with the management of the affairs thereof."
14. Upon the admitted nature of the duties of the appellant he does not fall within the definition of employer. It is the consistent case of both the parties that the appellant besides working as a Chowkidar also supervised three other Chowkidars. His salary as has been noticed already was Rs. 350 per month. In terms of the aforesaid definition of "workmen", the appellant is clearly a 'workman'. Any doubt previously held about this‑, position was removed by the introduction of "Explanation" under Ordinance IX of 1972. However, even before the addition of the Explanation this Court in Civil Appeal No. K‑6 of 1968 (Organization of Karachi Port Trust Workers v. Karachi Port Trust, ate decided on the 19th of January, 1970, had bold that 'Chowkidars and 'Havildars' in the Watch and Ward Department of the Karachi Port Trust were 'workmen' within the definition given in section 2 (n) of the Industrial Disputes Ordinance, 1959, which was as follows :‑--
15. '"Workman' means any person including an apprentice employed in, any industry to do any skilled or unskilled manual or clerical work for hire or reward, and includes, etc."
16. This Court observed as follows in the said Civil Appeal:
17. "The latest Ordinance on the subject, namely, the Industrial Relations Ordinance of 1969 (XXVIII of 1969) has resolved all doubts on the point. 'Workman' as per definition contained in section 2 (xxviii) of this Ordinance, covers all employees of an industrial establishment, whatever the nature of their duties, and includes employees who have been discharged in connection with an industrial dispute or whose discharge has led to that dispute.
18. The learned Single Judge of the High Court seems to have misconceived law applicable to the facts of the present case inasmuch as he applied West Pakistan Industrial and Commercial Employment (Standing Orders) Ordi nance, 1968, instead of the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969. It is due to this misconception that the learned Judge proceeded to consider whether the appellant was doing any manual or clerical work. No such words appeal in the definition of "workman" as given in section 2, clause (xxviii) of the Ordinance.
19. It has also been contended on behalf of the appellant that as neither the Sind Labour Court No. 4, nor the High Court considered the case on merit, it should be remanded for consideration on merits. Perhaps this would have been the appropriate course. Ire view, however, of the fact that the appellant in his reply categorically admitted the allegations against him but pleaded that to err was human and he should, therefore, be excused, a remand the case is not called for, and it is not in the interest of justice. The junior Labour Court found that the inquiry was fair and impartial, and this finding has not been set aside. We do not find that there is any reasonable ground to interfere with this finding. No contravention of any principles of natural justice has been alleged.
20. The appeal is accordingly dismissed with no order as to costs. The result is that the services of the appellant stand legally terminated and he is not entitled to any relief under section 25‑A of the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969.
21. Appeal dismissed.