23.09.2026 Item No.21 Ct. No. 30 Aloke WPA 24775 of 2026 HT Media Limited Vs The State of West Bengal & Anr. Mr. Soumya Majumders, ld. Sr. Adv. Ms. Sanjukta Dutta … for the petitioner Ms. Senjuti Sengupta Mr. Rananeesh Guha Thakurta … for the respondent no. 2 Ms. Aparna Banerjee, ld. AGP Ms. Sudipa Banerjee Ms. Puja Sonkar … for the State 1. The writ application has been preferred challenging an award dated 02.04.2026 passed by the learned First Labour Court, West Bengal in Case no. 14 of 2018. 2. The case of the petitioner is that, the petitioner company had engaged the respondent no. 2 as an Assistant Editor in Multi Media Content Management Division, lastly. 3. The respondent no. 2 is the person concerned at whose instance an award had been passed by the First Labour Court, West Bengal in Case No. 14 of 2018 under Section 17(2) of the Working Journalist and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 through a reference made by the Government of West Bengal in that regard by an order dated 23rd April, 2018 read with corrigendum dated 28th June, 2018. 2 The respondent was engaged even when the Majithia Wage Board recommendations had been notified by the Central Government. The validity and justifiability as also the enforceability of the Majithia Wage Board was challenged before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. 4. Even a contempt petition was filed before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India due to non implementation of the Majithia Wage Board recommendations. 5. The State of West Bengal filed an affidavit in this regard wherein the name of the petitioner company did not feature, clearly evincing therefrom that even the State of West Bengal did not think it fit that the Multi Media Content Management Division of the company was liable to comply with the recommendations of the Majithia Wage Board. 6. The Learned First Labour Court, West Bengal had passed an award on 4th December, 2024 whereby the Learned Labour Court made the company liable to pay Rs. 20,33,083/ as due wages including Dearness Allowance and a further 10% interest on the aforesaid figure from the date of filing of the proceedings before the Learned Labour Court, till the date of actual payment. 7. The petitioner filed a writ petition challenging such award. The same was disposed of by judgment and order dated 19th June, 2025 with the matter 3 being remanded to the Learned Labour Court to write a fresh order/award in respect of the relief granted by showing the calculations and the details as to how the due wages had been arrived at by the Labour Court in the award. 8. The Learned Labour Court passed a fresh award on 2nd April, 2026, on noting the point raised by the petitioner company apropos the need for unit wise classification of the establishment but did not decide the same, and only undertook the exercise of calculating the wages and allowances. 9. The Learned Labour Court erred in law by holding the respondent no. 2 to be a Group-III employee as per the Majithia Wage Board award and the company to be a Class-l establishment without applying the principles and tests laid down in the Majithia Wage Board award itself. Hence this writ petition. 10. Mr. Majumder, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner, on the last date submitted on instruction that the petitioner is willing to settle the claim of the private respondent herein if the private respondent no. 2 is willing to accept 50% of the amount as awarded by the impugned order. 11. It is now submitted before this Court today that a settlement has been arrived at and the learned counsel representing the respondent no. 2 submits 4 that the respondent no. 2 has accepted the said amount/offer. 12. As a result of the said settlement and in view of the said facts and circumstances, the impugned order stand modified to the extent that the parties have settled their dispute amicably. 13. The writ application stands disposed of. 14. Connected application, if any, stands disposed of. 15. Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties upon compliance with all requisite formalities. (Shampa Dutt (Paul), J.)