Judgment

WANCHOO, J.: These nine appeals by special leave arise out of the awards of the Industrial Tribunal. Bombay and will be dealt with together. There were disputes between the four appellants-companies and the respondents their workmen, which were referred for adjudication to the Industrial Tribunal by nine reference orders on various dates between April to December 1959. The main dispute which gave rise to the references was with respect to wages, dearness allowance and gratuity. The references included other items also but we are not concerned in the present appeals with those items. Of the four companies who are the appellants before us, Greaves Cotton and Co. is the first company and its main activity is to invest money in manufacturing concerns. The second company is Greaves Cotton and Crompton Parkinson Private Limited and its main business is distribution of the products of a manufacturing concern known as Crompton Parkinson (Works) India Limited and service and repair to the said products at its workshop. The third company is Kenyon Greaves Private Limited and its main business is to manufacture high grade interestranded ropes for the textile industry. The last company