Bombay HC directs school, teachers to sort out salary dispute

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has directed the management and teachers of St Xavier's High School in Navi Mumbai to sort out their dispute regarding payment of salaries as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.A bench, comprising Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Nitin Jamdar, further directed the school management to file by June end the calculations of salary amounts payable and actually paid to the principal and teachers.The court was hearing on 14 June a batch of petitions filed by the principal and teachers, who made a grievance that they were not being paid salaries in keeping with the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.[caption id="attachment_350723" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="AFP"][/caption]The judges further ruled, "As regards the claim of arrears of salaries and allowances payable on the basis of recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission from June 2011 to 31st March, 2012, the School Management shall place on record within two weeks a statement of calculations of salaries and allowances payable to the principal and teachers".The school management shall also show cause as to why it should not be directed to pay the arrears of difference on the basis of 6th Pay Commission Recommendations, the judges noted.Teachers of St Xavier's had resorted to a "cease work strike" for nearly a week in December 2011 to demand salaries as per the Sixth Pay Commission. The management had increased fees, saying it had to pay the teachers as per the sixth pay commission. However, teachers moved the High Court allegingthat they were not being paid as per the Pay Commission recommendations.Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, Counsel for the Principal and Teachers of the school contended that though the Management has started paying salaries and allowances to the Principal and teachers as per the 6th Pay Commission Recommendations from 1 April, there were shortfalls in the amounts paid.The Court took on record a statement indicating the amounts of salaries and allowances payable to the concerned teachers as per the 6th Pay Commission Recommendations from 1st April, 2012, onwards and the amounts actually paid.Kumbhakoni also assured the Court that the grievances of the principal and teachers against the school management as regards the expenses to be incurred to run the school etc, will be set out in the affidavit of the Principal, which will be filed before 21 June. A copy thereof will also be served onthe school management within the same period, he said.The Court thereupon ordered that within a week from the date of receipt of such affidavit, the school management shall file an affidavit dealing with the averments and submissions made in the affidavit of the Principal.The bench further directed that the matter be placed high on board on 5 July.PTI