BOMBAY CHRONICLE COMPANY PRIVATE LTD Vs. ITS WORKMEN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is a reference made by the Government of Bombay under S. 12(5) of the Industrial Disputes Act for adjudication of the dispute between the Bombay Chronicle Company (Private), Ltd., Bombay (to be referred hereinafter as the company), and the workmen employed under it over the following demands :- Schedule

(2.) Usual notices were served on the parties. The secretary of the Bombay Union of Journalists filed a statement of claim on behalf of the workmen and the managing director filed a written statement on behalf of the company, raising preliminary points concerning validity of the reference and jurisdiction of the Court. These points were heard and decided as preliminary points.

(3.) The statement of claim narrated in detail the circumstances under which the service of Sarvasri Solie Petit and K. G. Narayanachar (who would be referred to hereinafter as the concerned workmen) were terminated. For the purposes of this award it is not necessary to mention those averments in detail, but it would suffice to note that the allegations were that the attitude of the management of the company was of opposition tot he beneficial provisions of and regulations by the Working Journalists Act; that the concerned workmen had, because of their pro-labour activities, incurred some displeasure of the management; and that therefore their services were terminated on false pretexts. It was further alleged that the termination of their services were camouflaged to look innocent, but they were, in fact, acts of dismissal based on certain charges, and that they were also of the nature of vindictive acts of victimization. Hence, the concerned workmen were entitled to be granted the demands made on their behalf.