Judgment

GAJENDRAGADKAR, J. : These three appeals arise out of an industrial dispute between the industrial employers who are the appellants and their respective workmen who are the respondents in respect of the latters claim for bonus. They have been heard together because they raise some common questions of general importance. We would first set out briefly the material facts in the there respective appeals.

2. The Honorary Secretary, The South India Millowners Association and other mills are the appellants in Civil Appeal No. 419/60. A dispute arose between 44 mills and their respective employees in regard to the bonus for the year 1956. The said dispute was referred for industrial adjudication to the Industrial Tribunal, Madras, by the State Government on the 13th March, 1958. To this reference, the different mills and three unions which represented the employees were made parties. It appears that for the four years prior to 1956 the question of bonus had been disposed of by a tripartite Board of Arbitration appointed for each year by the Government. For the year 1956, negotiations were held at governmental level to evolve a satisfactory solution by consent but since the said