S. Sankarasubban, J.

Petitioners in this Original Petition are Chumattu Thozhilali Congress (I.N.T.U.C.), Palakkad and Railway Goods Transport & General Workers Union (I.N.T.U.C. (I), Olavakkod. Original Petition is filed challenging the order of the District Labour Officer, Palakkad, Ext. P3 and the order of the Regional Joint Labour Commissioner, Ernakulam, Ext. P8 under the Headload Workers Act (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act')

2. Petitioners are registered trade unions functioning in the sector of headload workers in Palakkad District. First petitioner union has basic units at various places including the Railway Goods Stations, whereas the second petitioner union is functioning at the Railway Goods Station exclusively. Fifth respondent is the Palakkad Taluk Headload and General Workers Union (C.I.T.U.), while the sixth respondent is the Palakkad Jilla Headload and General Workers Federation (S.T.U.).

3. In Palakkad, there are two Rail way Stations; one is called Town Railway Station while the other is called Junction Railway Station. Town Railway Station is nearly a century old while the Junction Railway Station is comparatively new. Town Railway Station was the