Judgment

GAJENDRAGADKAR, C.J.I. : This is a group of seven appeals which arise from an industrial dispute between the appellants, the Ahmedabad Mill Owners Association, Ahmedabad, and 67 employers on the one hand, and the respondent, the Textile Labour Association, Ahmedabad, on the other. This dispute was referred by the Government of Gujarat to the Industrial Court, Gujarat, under Section 73 of the Bombay Industrial Relations Act, 1946 (No. XI of 1947) (hereinafter called the Act ). In making the order of reference, the Government stated that it was satisfied that the industrial dispute in question was not likely to be settled by other means. The dispute itself consisted of three questions. These questions have been thus stated in the reference:-

"(1) Whether under the award of the Industrial Court, Bombay, dated the 2nd March, 1950, in Reference (IC) No. 189 of 1949 (as subsequently modified) read with award of the Industrial Court dated the 27th April, 1948, in Revision Petition No. Misc. 1 of 1947, the Ahmedabad Millowners Association and the employers mentioned in the Annexure are bound to pay dearness allowance to their employees on the Consumer Price Index Numbers for worki