Quick Summary: A recent court judgment denied benefits to retired workers of VST Industries Ltd, who wanted a 2013 agreement to apply to them. The court decided that the agreement wasn't relevant for those who retired between 2006 and 2012.
In 2015, 58 retired workers from VST Industries Ltd started a disagreement. They wanted benefits from a 2013 agreement between the company and the workers' union. The workers had retired between 2008 and 2012 and were asking for jobs for their family members.
The Industrial Tribunal in Hyderabad, on February 15, 2021, decided against the workers. The Tribunal stated:
"The terms and conditions mentioned in the 2013 agreement do not apply to the petitioners."
The Tribunal pointed out that the workers had retired before the new agreement was made and had accepted their retirement benefits without any complaints.
During the ongoing disagreement, eight workers passed away without their family members being substituted. The remaining workers and their families filed separate legal requests seeking jobs for family members based on the 2013 agreement.
VST Industries Ltd disagreed with the court's direction to consider the workers' complaints. The company's lawyer argued that:
The court, led by Chief Justice Apresh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin, concluded that the legal request wasn't valid. They emphasized:
"The petitioners failed to prove any legal or contractual right for jobs for family members."
The court highlighted the ten-year delay in filing the petition and ruled that the initial decision by the Tribunal was correct. The appeal by VST Industries Ltd was allowed, and the previous court order was canceled.
The court's decision means that the retired workers from VST Industries Ltd will not receive the benefits from the 2013 agreement, and their request for jobs for their family members was denied.
