A.R. Lakshmanan, J.

With the consent of both parties, the appeal itself was taken up for final hearing. The Writ Appeal is directed against the judgment in O.P. 9188/1998 dated 18.6.1998 directing the District Labour Officer, Pathanamthitta, to consider the matter after convening a conference of the concerned parties and to decide the same. The short facts that are relevant for the purpose of disposal of this appeal are as follows:

2. The appellant filed O.P. 9188/1998 praying for a direction to afford adequate and effective police protection to the appellant, its executives and other staff in order to get the rain guarding work done by the tappers of the Perinad estate. According to the appellant the Original Petition had to be filed on account of the fact that in the Perinad estate belonging to the appellant-company a plastic sheet called 'rain guard' had to be pasted on the bark of the rubber trees in order to protect the tapping cut and the latex collection during monsoon season, which, according to the appellant will prevent spilling of rain water to the tapping cut as well as into the latex collection cap. It is the case of the appellant that this work was being don