Judgement

Bhagwati J. - This is an appeal by special leave against the decision of the labour Appellate Tribunal, Calcutta, upholding the award made by the State Industrial Tribunal, Uttar Pradesh with certain modifications.

2. An industrial dispute arose between the appellant the Vishwamitra Press Karyalay, Kanpur, and the respondents, the workers of the Vishwamitra Press as represented by the Kanpur Samachar Patra Karamchari Union, Kanpur, in regard to the alleged victimisation of certain workmen under the guise of retrenchment. That industrial dispute was referred to the Industrial Tribunal, by a notification dated 24th April 1951. The time for making the award expired on 9th June 1951 and on 9th June 1951 a further notification was issued extending the time for making the award up to 30th June 1951, 30th June 1951 was a public holiday and 1st July was a Sunday. The Industrial Tribunal made its award on 2nd July 1951 and pronounced it in open Court that day. It was, however, thought by the Uttar Pradesh Government that the award was beyond time and invalid and on 18th July 1951 a notification was issued extending the period up to 3rd July 1951. This award was challenged by the appellant before the Labour Appellate Tribunal The Labour Appellate Tribunal negatived the contentions of the appellant.

The appellant applied for special leave which was granted by this Court on 21st December1951 limited to the following grounds:

"(1) The Government had no power to extend the time of the making of Award after the expiry of the time originally fixed, and the award made by the Adjudicator after such time is illegal, ultra virus, inoperative and void.

(2) In any case the state Government had extended the time for making the award till 30th June 1961, and the Adjudicator s award made after that dale is void.

(3) That the extension of time by the Government on 21st July 1951, after even the time extended previously had expired, was ultra vires and it could not make a void award as a valid award."

3. The industrial dispute which arose between the appellant and the respondents was referred by the Uttar Pradesh Government to the Indus, trial Tribunal in exercise of the power conferred by Ss. 3 and 4, Uttar Pradesh Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Uttar Pradesh Government had in exercise of the powers conferred by S. 3 (d) of the Act promulgated an order inter alia providing for the adjudication of the industrial disputes referred by it to the Industrial Tribunals. Paragraph 16 of that order ran as under:

"The Tribunal or the Adjudicator shall hear the dispute and pronounce its decision within 40 days (excluding holidays observed by Courts subordinate to the High Court) from the date of reference made to it by the State Government, and shall thereafter as soon as possible supply a copy of the same to the parties to the dispute, and to such other Persons or bodies as the State Government may in writing direct :

Provided that the State Government may extend the said period from time to time."

4. Paragraph 9 which prescribed the powers and functions of Tribunals inter alia provided:

"(9) The decision shall be in writing, and shall be pronounced in open Court and dated and signed by the member or members of the Tribunal, as the case may be, at the time of Pronouncing it."

5. It was not disputed before us that the original period calculated in accordance with Para 16 above expired on 9th June 1951 and the Uttar Pradesh Government validly extended the period up to 30th June 1951. It was, however, contended first the Industrial Tribunal should have made its award on 30th June 1951 and not on 2nd July 1951 as it purported to do. It was urged that the provision as to excluding holidays observed by Courts subordinate to the High Court which obtained in Para. 16 above did not apply when the period was extended up to a particular date. It would apply only if the period was extended by a particular number of days when for the purpose of the computation of those da