Judgment

VENKATARAMIAH, J. :- The question involved in this petition is whether a member of a trade union is entitled to ask for an account and to claim refund of the sums received by the trade union from the management for and on his behalf on his ceasing to be a member of the said, trade union.

2. Respondents 1 and 2, E. K. Thomas and K. K. Surendran respectively, were employees of a certain management which was the member of the Cochin Railway Forwarding Agents Association whose President is impleaded as Respondent No. 4 in this petition. The management concerned was doing the business of a clearing agent in the Cochin Harbour Terminus Railways Goods Shed. The respondents 1 and 2 were working as head load workers. Some of the employees working under the management concerned were members of a trade union called Cochin Port Thozhilali Union (hereafter referred to as the trade union) whose General Secretary is impleaded as Respondent No. 3 in this petition. The petitioner, G. S. Dhara Singh was the President of the trade union. The terms and conditions of service including the rates of wages and other allied matters relating to the head load workers were decided and settled through m