MANAGEMENT OF NEEDLE INDUSTRIES LIMITED Vs. PRESIDING OFFICER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner, the Management of Needle Industries Limited (hereinafter referred to as the 'Management') has challenged the common award dated 27.05.2002, passed by the Labour Court, Coimbatore (first respondent) in I.D.Nos. 2 to 6 etc of 1996.

(2.) THOUGH the Management has challenged the common award which is in favour of the respondents 5 to 51, the learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the writ petition is being pursued only against three respondents namely, respondents 22, 42 and 47 who are the petitioners in I.D.Nos.47 of 1996, 63 of 1996 and 68 of 1996 respectively. It is further submitted that in respect of all other workmen/respondents, the matter has been settled.

(3.) BEFORE going into the facts of the case and the rival contentions it would be necessary to take into consideration the preliminary objection raised by the learned Senior counsel appearing for the respondent/workmen as regards the maintainability of the writ petition. It is submitted that a single writ petition is not maintainable against an award pronounced in several disputes, though being a common award and the Management having not independently challenged each award separately by filing writ petitions, the writ petition at best could be confined only to one of the disputes.