NEWSPAPER LTD Vs. STATE INDUSTRIAL TRIBUNAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is a petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, The petitioner is the Newspapers Ltd. carrying on business of running daily newspapers and publication and sale of books. The petitioner has its own union of workers, known as the Newspapers Ltd. Employees' Union, which is registered and of which the majority of workers of the petitioner are members. There is another union named the Allahabad Press Workers' Union. The workers of the different Presses at Allahabad including the petitioner are its members. Some time ago the Allahabad Press Workers Union without the authority of the News papers Ltd. Employees' Union made a representation to the Regional Conciliation Officer, Allahabad, for extending the number of leave-holidays to be observed in the petitioner's concerns beyond those already prescribed under its standing Orders. They alleged that more leave-holidays were allowed by a similar concern, namely. the Amrit Bazar Patrika, Ltd. and there was n" reason why the petitioner should not; allow the same number of leave-holidays.

(2.) The Regional Conciliation Officer entertained the petition and sent notice to the petitioner. In spite of objections raised by the petitioner, the Regional Conciliation Officer reported the matter to the State Government which by its notification No. 2267 (LC)/XVIII-LA-184 (ALR), 54, dated October 11, 1954, referred the following dispute for adjudication to the State Industrial Tribunal "Whether the leave, rules of Messrs. Newspapers Ltd. Allahabad, need revision? If so, with what details?" The petitioner contested the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to entertain the dispute and to increase the number of leave-holidays prescribed under the Standing Orders of the petitioner. Another point urged) by the petitioner was that the Press Workers' Union had no jurisdiction to refer the dispute to the, Regional Conciliation Officer and that this could only be done by the union of the petitioner's concern.

(3.) The State Industrial Tribunal repelled the contentions of the petitioner and gave am award dated 23-12-1954, holding that the number of leave-holidays sanctioned by the petitioner needed revision and increasing the number of leave-holidays to a certain extent.