JUDGMENT

V. R. KRISHNA IYER, J.:—This Civil Appeal springs from an award by the Delhi Industrial Tribunal which is challenged by a small category of workmen who are 200 in number, the only financial impact whereof would be around Rs.6,000. The industrial dispute which led to the award relates to the year 1967 and it is unfortunate that the final adjudication of this dispute is being rendered as late as 1979. This provokes the comment that litigation is far too longlived to hold any realistic promise of fruits to the parties to the dispute.

2. The facts necessary to understand the scope of dispute may be stated shortly. The Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking employs various workmen under different categories. One of these categories, working in the distribution centres, is known as shift in charge. These workmen by qualification are matriculates with ITI certificates. There are three categories which are more or less similar but graded one above the other, in this Department. The lowest is known as attendants who are in charge of minor distribution centres. The highest are known as sub-station chargemen who are in charge of very important sub-stations. In between, we have sub-station