SC notice to Centre, others on plea for uniform pay structure, working conditions for HC staff

The Supreme Court Friday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea seeking direction to provide uniform or comparable pay structure, emoluments and other working conditions for the employees of high courts across the country.

A bench of justices A M Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna issued notice to the Centre, several states, Union Territories (UTs) and others on the plea which claimed there is a disparity in the pay scales, emoluments as well as working conditions of the employees of high courts.

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on October 7.

The plea, filed by All India High Court Employees Federation and others, has sought directions to examine the current working conditions of high court staff and suggest measures to improve the same.

“Despite doing the same work, there is a huge disparity in the pay scales and service conditions of the employees of high court across the country. Therefore, it is most respectfully submitted that the members of petitioners are entitled to have uniform/comparable service rules and conditions by virtue of rights guaranteed under Article 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution of India,” said the petition, filed through advocate Mayuri Raghuvanshi.

The plea claimed that although the nature of work done by the employees of high courts across the country is the same, there is a disparity in their pay scales and emoluments and discrimination with regard to the determination of their pay, allowances as well as working conditions amongst them.

It has sought directions to examine and evolve appropriate pay structure or basic pay scale, emoluments of the employees of high courts across the country.

The plea sought direction to recommend a permanent mechanism for the review of pay and service conditions of the high court employees periodically.

It also sought direction to refer the case of the employees of high courts to a commission headed by former apex court judge Justice (retd) P V Reddi or any other panel as deem fit by the court.

The plea said the top court had in May 2017 appointed a commission headed by Justice Reddi while hearing a plea seeking directions to the Centre and others to constitute all India Judicial Commission to review the service conditions of judicial officers of subordinate judiciary, including but not limited to pay scale, retirement age, pension and other emoluments from time to time.