' The appeal captioned above challenges the decision dated 249-1988 recorded by learned Presiding Officer, Punjab Labour Court No. 3, Lahore at Ferozewala whereby the grievance petition of the respondent for the recovery of wages with effect from 26-5-1986 onward and for setting aside the order 'waiting for orders' was accepted.
2. The respondent was a cleaner and was promoted as Fireman vide order dated 25-5-1986. His case is that he performed duty on 26-5-1986 and 27-5-1986 and thereafter was kept waiting for orders. The wages from 26-5-1986 onward were refused to the respondent for the reason that he had remained absent. Sheikh Munir was transferred and in his place the respondent was promoted as Fireman. Sheikh Munir challenged the order of his promotion and this caused the trouble for which the respondent was not given duty and was kept waiting for orders. RW-2 had as observed by the learned lower Court admitted in the cross-examination that the respondent had been trying to get the duty. A person who tries to get duty, cannot be said to have remained absent. RW-2 had also said that the respondent had been performing duties in the Loco-Shed after 28-5-1986. RW-2 also said that the respondent had been transferred to Lahore Division Loco shops on 28-5-1985. If this was so some person working in Loco-shed, Lahore could depose about the absence or otherwise of the respondent and RWs 1 and 2 could not have come to know of it. So far as RW-1 is concerned, no doubt, he said that the respondent did not work in the Loco shed but he admitted that he was not Incharge of the petitioner at that time. Since he was not Incharge he has been rightly disbelieved by the learned lower Court. Not being Incharge he could not have come to know if the respondent had remained absent.
3. So far as the order 'waiting for orders' is concerned, such an order can be passed for a very short period to make arrangement to put an employee on duty and .Cannot be prolonged. The respondent, therefore, rightly prayed for discontinuance of such an order. The grievance petition of the respondent thus was rightly accepted by the learned Lower Court and the appeal having no force is consequently dismissed.