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The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a plea filed by employees of Consumer Forums across India under third-party contracts alleging step-motherly treatment seeking handling at par with similarly placed High Court and other forums employees.

A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Bela M Trivedi issued notice in the plea while tagging the matter with other similar petitions.

The plea has stated that the technical support staff, working with respective Consumer Forums and Commissions across India under an outsourced arrangement are being given step-motherly treatment as compared to the staff working with the other judicial Forums/Commissions such as High Court, District Court, NCLT, NCDRC, Human Right Commission, NCW, etc.

The plea has further stated that the employees are "desirous of being treated equally at par to technical support staff, hired and employed by various high courts and districts court and hence, filing this petition before this Hon’ble Court for fixed tenure and fixed compensation for all the technical support staff of various consumers’ court and frame the guideline accordingly."

The petitioners have said that "as per High Courts rules, the appointment of staff in the District Court is based on sole discretion of the District Judge and due to which District Courts, all over India never face any issue with respect to the shortage of staff due to pending approval from the Governments."

It has sought direction to the respondents to make a national policy of the E-Committee of SC applicable to the Consumer Commissions. In addition to this, it has further prayed "for the purpose of the appointment of staff in the Consumer Commissions and the interference of the Government should be reduced in the appointment of the staff in Consumer Commissions."

Case Title: Tage Yassingh and Ors. Vs. Union of India and Ors.