Judgment

Mahajan J. - The appellants are a company registered under the Indian Companies Act, & have got mills at Tilaknagar, District Ahmednagar, in the State of Bombay, for manufacturing sugar. For the purpose of their business, they employ muster labour & contract labour.

2. By a notification dated 8-1-1948, published in the Govt. Gazette, under S:2 (4), Bombay Industrial Relations Act, 1946 (Bombay Act XI [11] of 1947), the Provincial Govt. applied the provisions of the Act to sugar industry with effect from 12-1-1948. A dispute arose between the employees of the appellants including the seasonal & contract labour & the appellants as regards the demand made by the employees for payment of six months wages as bonus for the year 1947-48 & as the dispute was not resolved by conciliation, the Govt. of Bombay issued the following notification on 1- 4-1949: " Whereas an industrial dispute has arisen between the Maharashtra Sugar Mills Ltd., Belapur Road, District Ahmednagar & its employees (hereinafter referred to as the said industrial dispute ) in respect of payment of six months wages as bonus for the year 1947-48 to all employees including the seasonal & contract labour; And wh