Judgment

GAJENDRAGADKAR, J.: An Industrial Dispute between the respondent, M/s. Balmer Lawrie and Co., and its employees, the appellants, has given rise to the present appeal by special leave. The dispute related to four demands made by the appellants and it was referred for adjudication by the Government of West Bengal to the Industrial Tribunal constituted under S. 7A of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. These demands were: grades and scales of pay, privilege leave, medical leave and retiring age. In regard to the claim of the appellants for reducing the existing five grades into two grades organised on a rational and scientific basis, the Tribunal held that, on the whole, the grades seemed to function satisfactorily, and so, no case had been made out for their amalgamation. The demand for increase in the scales of pay was substantially rejected by the Tribunal, but it held that the appellants should be given some relief by increasing the initial salary of all the grades by Rs. 10/-. The claims for privilege leave and medical leave were rejected by the Tribunal; it held that the mere fact that two concerns in the neighbourhood had agreed to give more than 21 days privilege leave