JUDGMENT

Raju, J.-These three appeals relate to a common grievance of a group of 33 canteen employees of Indian Overseas Bank Staff Canteen and involve for consideration a vexed question but often relentlessly fought and put in issue between the workers and management as to status and relationship of workers in such canteens vis-a-vis the main industry or establishment concerned. At the Central Office of the Indian Overseas Bank at Madras (for short "IOB"), the canteen facilities have been provided to the staff employees and the departments of the Central Office, in the main building, new building and canteen block as also C&I Branch and Cathedral Branch Initially, it appears that the said canteen was run through a contractor engaged by the management of the bank. But subsequently on the representation of the All India Overseas Bank Employees Union, the Central Office of IOB agreed for the floating of a society in the name and style of "Indian Overseas Bank Staff Co-operative Canteen" with effect from 3.1.73. In order to facilitate the running of such a canteen the Central Office has not only got the erstwhile contractor, who was running the same in the canteen block, vacated the ca