Sexagenarian running from pillar to post for labour court award implementation

A 68-year-old former employee of an electrical insulation tape manufacturing company has been running from pillar to post for implementation of a labour court's award passed in his favour in 2012 after a prolonged legal battle spanning16 years.

The labour court had awarded a compensation of Rs.13 lakh for his termination from service in the year 1996.

R. Muthuswamy, a resident of Rohini in north-west Delhi, has approached the Labour Department authorities and administrative agencies in Delhi as well as Mumbai, where the firm's office has since shifted. In spite of taking all steps to make the defaulter company pay the amount as directed by the court, Mr. Muthuswamy is yet to get his dues.

After he was terminated from service following his transfer from Delhi to the company's electrical insulation tape factory at Bhor in Pune district of Maharashtra in 1996, Mr. Muthuswamy moved the labour court, which decided the case in favour of the company.

Mr. Muthuswamy then moved the Delhi High Court, which redirected the matter to the Karkardooma labour court with the direction to find the remaining issues. The labour court passed the award in his favour on December 22, 2012. The High Court then directed the labour court to implement its award.

Mr. Muthuswamy told

The Hindu that he had approached every authority concerned in Delhi and Mumbai, but none of them had succeeded in getting the award money from the defaulter company. He said he had spent Rs.3.67 lakh during the prolonged litigation to fight against his illegal termination.

After the Delhi (Central) District Magistrate wrote to the Collector's office in Mumbai on June 15 this year, the matter is pending in the Collector's Labour Due Recovery Department, which is yet to take action to get the labour court's award implemented.

He has now written to the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor and Delhi Labour Minister, seeking their intervention in the case. “I am 68-year-old and a heart patient...I am in a very critical condition financially,” he said while seeking their help in getting the labour court's award implemented.

R. Muthuswamy, a resident of Rohini, has approached the Labour Department authorities and administrative agencies in Delhi as well as Mumbai