Cadre Secretaries Entitled to Pay Parity with Bank Staff | HC

Case Details: Aska Co-operative Central Bank Ltd. vs. State of Odisha - [2025] 181 taxmann.com 90 (HC - Orissa)

Judiciary and Counsel Details

• K.R. Mphapatra &  Sanjay Kumar Mishra, JJ.
• Sourya Sundar Das, Sr. Adv. & Ms Baijayanti Mohanty, Adv. for the Petitioner.
•  Pradeep Kumar Sahoo, Addl. Standing Counsel and Shaktidutta Tripathy, Adv. for the Respondent.

Facts of the Case

In the instant case, the Cadre secretaries of a registered co-operative society engaged to manage societies in their day-to-day business had formed a registered trade union to safeguard their interests.

They claimed a travelling allowance (T.A) at par with a Junior Assistant of the bank, as they were discharging the same and similar nature of duties as that of a Junior Assistant. Further, they claimed an additional remuneration of Rs. 200/- on the ground of being kept in charge of two Service Co-operative Societies simultaneously.

They also claimed for regularisation of the services of the cadre secretaries working on an ad-hoc basis, as well as a bonus for the accounting year 1987-88 onwards from the Management. Moreover, they claimed a revision of the pay scale of the cadre secretaries to be at par with that of the Junior Assistants of the Bank.

On failure of conciliation, the Government referred the dispute to the Industrial Tribunal for adjudication. The Industrial Tribunal held that Cadre Secretaries were entitled to draw T.A/D.A @ Rs. 35 per day, which Junior Assistants of bank were drawing.

High Court Held

It was held that Cadre Secretaries working under Co-operative society who remained in charge of two Service Co-operative Societies simultaneously were entitled to extra remuneration. It further held that the services of Cadre Secretaries working on an ad hoc basis needed to be regularised. It also held that Cadre Secretaries were entitled to the scale of pay of Junior Assistants of the bank, along with the usual D.A.

The High Court held that since the Industrial Tribunal had discussed in detail the relevant issues to be considered for answering the reference, there was no infirmity in the impugned Award deserving interference. Thus, the impugned award was to be confirmed.

List of Cases Referred to

• Syed Yakoob v. K.S. Radhakrishnan AIR 1964 SC 477 (para 20).