HC admits plea against freezing DA revision by FACT

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre government and the FACT management on a writ petition challenging the management action in freezing the revision of dearness allowance of FACT employees. The petition was filed by the FACT Workers’ Organisation.

According to it, the company had frozen the revision of DA due from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, under the guise of the COVID-19 situation. The petitioner contended that the management was bound to revise DA quarterly as per the All Indian Consumer Price Index under the trilateral agreement. Therefore, the action of the management was illegal. The enhanced DA already paid to the workers would be recovered from the November salary. The action was a clear infringement of the fundamental right of the employees.

The authorities were bound to act in a fair and reasonable manner in strict compliance with the statutory mandates under the Industrial Disputes Act, the petition said.