The Concept of Seniority under Service Law
1. MEANING OF SENIORITY Seniority, in service law, connotes the precedence or preference in position of an employee over other employees similarly situated. Seniority in simple English means a longer life than of another thing or person taken for comparison. In the case of a Government servant, it means ‘the length of service’. If the service of one person is longer than that of another the first names person is called senior to the other. According to Black’s Law Dictionary [1] “seniority” means: “Precedence or preference in position over others similarly situated. As used, for example, with reference to job seniority, worker with most years or service is first promoted within range of jobs subject to seniority, and is the last laid off, proceeding so on down the line to the youngest in point of service” In Andhra Pradesh Cooperative Oil Seeds Growers Federation Ltd. Vs. D. Achyuta Rao [2] , the Supreme Court has held that seniority confer