JUDGMENT

Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, J. - This appeal is at the instance of UCO Bank and is directed against judgment and order dated December 17, 2018 passed by Learned Single Judge in WPA 29480 of 2017 whereby the Bank was directed to allow writ petitioner/respondent no. 2 or any duly elected as office-bearer of the Union but not serving in the Bank to participate in the negotiations.

2. All India UCO Bank Officers' Federation (for short 'the Federation') and its General Secretary being the respondent nos. 1 and 2 in this appeal have preferred a cross-objection being COT 26 of 2019 and have prayed for striking down the impugned policy of the Bank dated November 3, 2017 and for quashing the letter dated 3rd November, 2017 and 24th November, 2017.

3. Facts giving rise to the instant appeal are summarized hereunder as follows:

The Federation herein claims to be a registered Trade Union of which the writ petitioner no. 2/respondent no. 2 is its General Secretary. The respondent no. 2 retired from service of the Bank with effect from December 1, 2003 but, in terms of the Constitution of the Federation he is eligible to contest the election of the office-bearers of the Federation and to carry