In Brief
Lenin Kumar Ray, appointed as Junior Engineer and later promoted to Assistant Engineer (Electronics & Communication) in a newspaper's administrative cadre, was terminated from service by Express Publications in 2003 after receiving one month's salary in lieu of notice. The Labour Court found him a 'workman' under the Industrial Disputes Act and ordered reinstatement with compensation. The Supreme Court held that his supervisory duties managing junior engineers and salary exceeding the statutory limit excluded him from 'workman' status. As he was not a workman, the Industrial Disputes Act did not apply, making the termination lawful. The Court set aside the reinstatement order while upholding the compensation award.
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