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NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL  NO(S).  9382-9384 OF 2017

IEL SUPERVISORS' ASSOCIATION ETC. ETC.   Appellant(s)                        VERSUS

DUNCAN INDUSTRIES LTD. & ANR.                 Respondent(s)

J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J.

1. The appellants are before this Court, aggrieved by the Judgment dated 24.02.2016 passed by the High Court of judicature at Allahabad in Writ Petition No. 12468 of 2002 and other connected matters, by which the High Court remitted the dispute to the Industrial Tribunal for fresh adjudication. 2. It  is  the  contention  of  the  learned  senior counsel that this is the second time the remittance is  made  and  going  by  the  order  dated  14.09.2010 passed by this Court, the High Court could not have made a remand.  The relevant portion of the order dated 14.09.2010 passed by this Court in Civil Appeal Nos. 351-355 of 2006 and other connected matters, is reproduced below :-

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“In the circumstances and keeping in view the fact that the Labour Court has taken two different views in the two references made to it as regards the staut of Supervisors and Deputy Superintendents, we are of the view that the matters need to be remanded back to the High Court to enabel both the sides to argue the matter afresh and also the High Court to examine the  issues  that  arise  for determination.   We,  accordingly,  allow  these appeals, set aside both the impugned orders and remit the matters back to the High Court for a fresh disposal in accordance with law.  Keeping in view  the  importance  of  the  issues that  arise  for  consideration,  we would  request  the  Chief  Justice  of the High Court to direct placing the matters  before  a  Division  Bench. Since,  the  matters  have  been lingering on for a long time, we give liberty  to  the  parties  to  approach the  Division  Bench  for  an  early hearing  and  disposal.   Parties  are left  to  bear  their  own  costs. Needless to say that all contentions available  to  the  parties  are  left open  to  be  urged  before  the  High Court.”

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3. It  may be  seen that  the order,  as above,  was passed in view of the conflicting stands taken by two Labour  Courts  on  the  issue  as  to  whether  the Supervisors/Deputy  Superintendents  would  be  workmen or  not  under  the  provisions  of  the  Industrial Disputes  Act,  1947.   The  learned  counsel  for  the Management submits that in view of the intervening development after the order dated 14.09.2010 passed by this Court, whereby the Management has been taken over by the present respondent, the matter needs a fresh adjudication.  We are afraid, the contention cannot be appreciated. 4. The  only  dispute  remaining  to  be  decided  is whether the Supervisors/Deputy Superintendents would be workmen or not.  There are already two conflicting views  of  the  Labour  Courts.   In  the  above circumstances, we do not find any justification for the  High  Court  remitting  the  matter  again  to  the Labour  Court  on  the  issue.   Accordingly,  these appeals are allowed.  The impugned Judgment is set aside.  We direct the High Court to decide the issue finally  in  the  true  spirit  of  the  order  dated 14.09.2010, as explained by us above on the basis of the  materials  available  on  record.  Being  an  old matter, we request the High Court to dispose of the writ appeals expeditiously and preferably before the

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Court closes for summer vacation. It will be open to the  first  respondent  to  bring  the  intervening developments to the notice of the High Court.

No costs.   

..........................J.                  [ KURIAN JOSEPH ]  

..........................J.               [ MOHAN M. SHANTANAGOUDAR ]  

New Delhi; February 23, 2018.

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ITEM NO.64               COURT NO.4               SECTION III-A                S U P R E M E  C O U R T  O F  I N D I A                        RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

Civil Appeal  No(s).  9382-9384/2017 IEL SUPERVISORS' ASSOCIATION ETC. ETC.       Appellant(s)                                 VERSUS DUNCAN INDUSTRIES LTD. & ANR.                      Respondent(s) Date : 23-02-2018 These appeals were called on for hearing today. CORAM :  HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE KURIAN JOSEPH          HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MOHAN M. SHANTANAGOUDAR For Appellant(s)  Mr. Colin Gonsalves, Sr. Adv.  

Ms. Nabila Hasan, Adv.                       Mr. Satya Mitra, AOR                     For Respondent(s)  Mr. Bimal Roy Jad, AOR

Ms. Shikha Dixit, Adv.   Mr. N. G. Dev, Adv.   

                        UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following

                            O R D E R The  civil  appeals  are  allowed  in  terms  of  the  signed

non-reportable Judgment.   Pending Interlocutory Applications, if any, stand disposed of.

(JAYANT KUMAR ARORA)                              (RENU DIWAN)    COURT MASTER                                ASSISTANT REGISTRAR

(Signed non-reportable Judgment is placed on the file)