ANDHRA PRABHA LIMITED EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS LIMITED EMPLOYEES OF EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS PRIVATE LIMITED Vs. SECRETARY MADRAS UNION OF JOURNALISTS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These are three appeals from an award, dated July 31, 1963 made by the Special Industrial Tribunal, Madras. At the time when the reference was made, the parties to this dispute were on the one hand, the workers and the staff and the working journalists employed under the Express Newspapers (P) Ltd. and on the other hand, the private limited company called the Express Newspapers (P) Ltd. The latter, hereinafter referred to as the Company, owned and published newspapers and periodicals from Madras. These may be split into three groups. The first group comprised of the Indian Express (daily), Sunday Standard (weekly) and Screen (weekly):all these were published in English The second group consisted of Andhra Prabha (daily) and the Andhra Prabha Illustrated Weekly (weekly):these were published in Telugu language The third group consisted of two papers, Dinamani (daily) and Dinamani Kadir (weekly):these were in Tamil language. One Ramnath Goenka was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company incorporated in 1946. He was also one of the directors of Express Newspapers Ltd. which owned and controlled a press and paper at Delhi. The group of news papers at Madras does not seem to have prospered much before l956. It started making sizable profits from that year.

(2.) The reference which was made by the Government of Madras on April 30, 1959 under S. 10 (1) (d) of the Industrial Disputes Act contained two questions:

(3.) On the application of the workmen for addition of parties, the Andhra Prabha Ltd. the Indian Express Newspapers (Madurai) Ltd., and the Express Newspapers Ltd., a public company were added as parties before the Special Tribunal.