JUDGMENT :

1. These are the petitions preferred under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India by the group of petitioners. There are cross petitions preferred by the employers and employees in the present group of petitions, the list of which is as under : -

2. The facts of each pair of cross cases are briefly stated before adjudicating all these matters by a common judgment because of involvement of identical questions of facts and law in them.

2.1. SCA 20078/2017 (by the employer) and its cross petition