Judgement

WANCHOO J.: These are three appeals by special leave from three decisions of the Labour Appellate Tribunal of India. We shall dispose of them by one judgment, as they raise common points. The three appellants are the management s of (1) Imperial Hotel, New Delhi (2) Maiden s Hotel, Delhi and (3) Swiss Hotel, Delhi, the respondents being their respective workmen represented by the Hotel Workers Union, Katra Shahanshahi, Chandni Chowk, Delhi.

2. It seems that disputes were going on between these hotels and their workmen for some time past about the conditions of labour of the workmen employed therein. Matters seem to have come to a head about the end of September 1955 and a strike of all the workmen in all the three hotels took place on October 5, 1955. Before this general strike in the three hotels, there had been trouble in Imperial Hotel only in August 1955. In that connection chargesheets were served on 22 workmen and an enquiry was held by the management which came to the conclusion that the workmen were guilty of misconduct and therefore decided to dismiss them. Consequently, notices were served on October 4,1955, upon these workmen informing them that the management h