Summary: The Bombay High Court has decided in favor of four workers from the Malegaon Municipal Corporation, ordering that they get their jobs back and receive the pay they missed. The court found that firing them was unfair and stressed the importance of treating workers fairly.
In this case, four workers—Pradip Ramesh Shinde, Bhushan Suresh Thakre, Sunil Ananda Bagul, and Sheikh Javid Sheikh Rashid—were employed by the Malegaon Municipal Corporation as drivers and firemen on a temporary basis since 2017. Despite working continuously for nine years, they were let go in July 2025.
Pradip Ramesh Shinde, Bhushan Suresh Thakre, Sunil Ananda Bagul, and Sheikh Javid Sheikh Rashid were hired on short-term contracts that lasted six months at a time. They asked to be made permanent workers, but their requests were turned down in May 2025. The Malegaon Municipal Corporation ended their jobs on July 2, 2025, while their requests were still being considered.
"Keeping them on temporary contracts is taking advantage of them," said the court.
Judge Milind N. Jadhav was in charge of the case and found that the Malegaon Municipal Corporation's actions were unfair. The court noted that Pradip Ramesh Shinde, Bhushan Suresh Thakre, Sunil Ananda Bagul, and Sheikh Javid Sheikh Rashid did important work alongside permanent employees and should not be denied permanent positions.
"Fairness requires that these jobs are officially recognized and that the workers are treated with respect and fairness."
The court did not accept the Malegaon Municipal Corporation's excuse that they couldn't afford to make the workers permanent. It stressed that relying on temporary contracts for a long time is unfair and not what is expected from a public organization.
The court canceled the termination orders and instructed the Malegaon Municipal Corporation to give Pradip Ramesh Shinde, Bhushan Suresh Thakre, Sunil Ananda Bagul, and Sheikh Javid Sheikh Rashid their jobs back within a week. It also ordered that they receive the pay they missed from the date they were fired until they are rehired, along with all the benefits of being permanent workers.
This decision highlights the importance of fair treatment for workers and their right to be treated with respect and fairness, especially in public jobs.
"The government cannot save money by taking advantage of those who do the most basic and essential public jobs," the court remarked.
This ruling is a big step towards making sure that temporary workers are not taken advantage of and are given the rights and benefits they deserve.
