CHENNAI: Wondering why the management at Manali Petrochemicals Limited (MPL) was seeking a direction going against the “consistent call” to have the age raised, the Madras High Court refused to interfere with an order of the industrial disputes tribunal which had ruled against the reduction of the retirement age of the company’s workers from 60 to 58 years.
Disposing of a batch of petitions regarding the awards passed by the tribunal on various issues including the reduction of retirement age and pension schemes recently, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy wondered why the management at MPL was seeking such direction when there is a consistent call to raise the age limit.
The judge noted that at the time of recruitment in Plant-I of SPIC (formerly Manali Petrochemicals Limited), the age of superannuation was specified as 60 years. Apart from uniformity no other reason was given. Second, it must be noted that even when considering the region and major industries such as Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), the age of retirement is 60 years, the judge said.
“Furthermore, in every sector, there is a consistent call to raise the retirement age, and this is being done because improvements in average life expectancy, worker productivity and health standards have improved. There is no justification for moving in the opposite direction and lowering the retirement age from 60 to 58 years,” he added in the order.