Law: Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973

Section: LVIII,2(d),13

Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act (LVIII of 1973)-------Ss. 2(d) & 13---Petition before the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees for the payment of salary arrears---Newspaper employee---Scope--Assertion of the respondent/management was that the petitioner was only an article writer---Validity---Petitioner submitted three publications of magazine as well as transcript of his WhatsApp messages with the Editor-in-Chief of the respondent / management, which was handed over to counsel of the respondent---Respondent / management later applied delaying tactics and ultimately absented itself from the proceedings and were proceeded ex-parte---Said publications of magazine as well as documents annexed with the petition, revealed that the petitioner remained attached with respondent group of publications (a Daily and a Monthly) as a founding Editor for the period of more than two years---Even if, for the sake of argument, the petitioner was believed to be an article-writer, he did fall within the definition of "newspaper employee" as prescribed under S. 2(d) of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973, as he being editor had remained associated with the publications---Monthly salary claimed by the petitioner was corroborated with the bank-statement appended by him---Petitioner had categorically claimed certain lump-sump amount from the respondent/management, whereas respondent submitted a vague/evasive written-reply without filing any document(s) in rebuttal, thus respondent failed to rebut specifically the contents of petition or entitlement/claim---Despite affording opportunities , the respondent had not submitted any statement of accounts to demonstrate that the calculation made by the petitioner on account of arrears of salary was incorrect---Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees held the petitioner entitled for recovery of outstanding salary amount he prayed for, and directed the respondent / management to pay the same to him---Petition was accepted, in circumstances.Date of hearing: 12th February, 2024.JUDGMENTSHAHID MEHMOOD KHOKHAR, CHAIRMAN.---On 14/11/2023, respondent was proceeded ex-parte and thereafter…