Last fortnight, I told you about the blatant misuse of power and money by Indian news agency PTI wherein this media company wasted Rs.200000 in legal and other expenses but did not pay a mere Rs.12000 due to its two workers.

Now, I am happy to share with you the impact Greater Voice had on this case, as you can see, on the right, a cheque dated 26.2.2010 of Rs.6000 (now) paid by PTI to Balram Singh Dahiya. Another cheque of similar amount is reported to have been sent to Vinod Kumar also. (Read about an earlier Greater Voice impact here.)

Meanwhile, the two workers have already moved the Labour Department of the Government of NCT of Delhi seeking prosecution of their Directors and CEO M.K.Razdan, which notice PTI is trying to avoid.

But how hard the company may try; its Directors and CEO are liable for prosecution for failing to timely implement the Award of the Industrial Tribunal, Delhi, in favor of the two workers, with regard to this case relating to payment of ex-gratia to them.

Well, undeniably, the provisions of the applicable Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 are very clear and since admittedly the Award passed by the Industrial Tribunal-II, Delhi, became enforceable way back on August 30, 2009 and it was not implemented by PTI on the date it became enforceable, and now the payment of Rs.6000 each to the two has been made much later, and the management intentionally and willfully delayed the implementation of the Award, strong and firm action is liable to be taken against PTI for its deliberate and willful non-implementation of the Award, by prosecuting the Directors as well as the CEO in charge of the establishment, in terms of Section 29 read with Section 32 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

In fact, the malafides of the management in intentionally depriving the two workmen of the benefits provided under the Award are also clear from the fact that both of them have won their individual cases with the management – one of dismissal and the other of transfer – in the industrial tribunals but PTI is yet to give them duties. PTI has preferred appeals in those two cases also. These cases will be dealt with here in this series on Dismantling Media Mafia.