JUDGMENT

Arun Kumar, J.-Various textile mills in the country came to be vested in the Central Government by virtue of the provisions under Section 3(1) of the Sick Textile Undertakings (Nationalization) Act, 1974. The Central Government transferred all such mills to the National Textile Corporation Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as NTC ) which was brought into existence for this purpose. Under Section 5 of the said Act the liability towards wages, salaries and other dues of workers of such mills after the takeover of management by the Central Government, is that of the Central Government.

2. The issue involved in these cases is regarding the claim of the staff/sub staff engaged by the various textile mills under the NTC for equal pay for equal work . The staff working in the mills is claiming pay equal to or in parity with the pay scales prevailing for the staff working in the corporate offices of the mills. It is not in dispute that the office staff/sub staff is on the Central Dearness Allowance pattern (for short CDA) while the staff/sub staff working in the mills is on the variable Industrial Dearness Allowance pattern (for short IDA) governed by region: cum : Industry awards. It