JUDGMENT :

Heard Mr. B. D. Konwar, learned senior counsel assisted by Mr. J. Singh, learned counsel appearing for the writ petitioners. I have also heard Mr. G. N. Sahewalla, learned senior counsel assisted by Ms. B. Baishya, learned counsel representing the respondents.

2. This writ petition is directed against the Award dated 31.05.2013 passed by the learned Central Government Industrial Tribunal–cum-Labour Court, Guwahati in connection with Reference Case No.3/2008 answering the Reference in the negative and against the writ petitioners.

3. The facts of the case, in a nutshell, are that the 16 writ petitioners herein claim to be part of the 223 group of contingent workers who were members of the ONGC Field Party Contingent Workers Association (herein after referred to as the ‘Association’). The members of the aforesaid association claim that they had rendered more than 240 days of continuous work in a period of 12 calendar months and also possessed the minimum prescribed qualification and therefore, were entitled to be regularized in service as per the provisions of the “Certified S