In a key judgment delivered just before the rollout of the new Labour Codes, the Kannur Labour Court dismissed the claim petitions filed by 47 retired employees against Keltron Component Complex Limited (KCCL), a subsidiary of the Kerala State Electronic Development Corporation, over the alleged pending service benefits.
Labour Court judge P.S. Nishi ruled in favour of the management rejecting the employees’ plea to compute and recover monetary benefits claimed under the State government’s Wage Revision Order issued on October 28, 2017.
The petitioners, who had served varying lengths of service, argued that the revision, effective from April 2012, entitled them to revised wages and associated benefits.
They contended that only 85% of arrears had been dispersed, leaving 15% unpaid.
Meanwhile, counsel for the management countered that all terminal benefits had been settled at the time of the employees’ retirement, leaving no scope for fresh claims.
He argued that the petitioners, having retired, no longer met the definition of workmen and that the petitions under Section 33C(2) of the Industrial Disputes Act were legally untenable. The management submitted that the 2017 wage revision was implemented as per the Government Order and in line with the long-term agreement with recognised trade unions, which remained binding on all employees, including retirees. The claim for the remaining 15% arrears, it argued, was contrary to the terms of agreement.
The court held that the remaining portion of the claim could not be granted. It noted that KCCL had uniformly implemented the settlements reached with the recognised trade unions. The court further observed that the petitioners had produced no evidence to show that the settlement was vitiated by fraud, coercion, or unfair labour practice.
Published – November 27, 2025 01:50 am IST
