SOMNATH AYYAR, J.

( 1 ) WE are concerned in this writ petition with a settlement reached between an employer called the Mysore Sugar Company which is respondent 2 before us and to which we shall refer as the company, and an employees' association known as the Mysore Sugar Company Employees' association which is respondent 3 and which will be called the association, on 22 July, 1966. This settlement is called in question by the petitioner which is another employees' union known as the Mysore Sugar Company Employees' Union to which we shall refer as the union.

( 2 ) THE impugned settlement was reached between the association and the company in the presence of the State Conciliation Officer who was also the Commissioner of Labour. The settlement was the sequel to a proposal by the company which was announced on 22 June, 1966 to begin a lay-off with effect from 1 July, 1966. That announcement explained that the lay-off became necessary by pressure of external circumstances including the inability to secure raw materials and to find alternative employment for the workmen during the forced shut-down period. The company proposed to maintain only the bare minimum number of workmen requir

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