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1989 Supreme(Ker) 20

Judges : SREEDHARAN
JOY MATHEW - Appellant
Versus
SUPDT.OF POLICE - Respondent
Case No : O.P. No. 10143 of 1988
Decided On : 01/13/1989
Advocates Appeared :
M. V. Joseph; For Petitioner A.N. Rajan Babu; For Respondent

Headnote:

Labour Dispute - Kerala Headload Workers Act - S.2(m), S.2(i) - The court held that the Unions of Headload workers have no legal right to insist that the work of unloading the goods should be done by the workers of the union themselves and not by the workers of the master's choice. The petitioner is entitled to carry on the loading and unloading work in his establishment with his permanent employees. The police are duty bound to protect this right and should not shirk from their responsibilities under the guise that the dispute relates to labour.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner, having a factory engaged in the manufacture of cement hollow bricks, faced obstruction and agitation from a labour union, compelling the closure of the business. The petitioner sought police protection to run the establishment without obstruction.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the petitioner had the right to carry on the loading and unloading work in his establishment with his permanent employees, and the labour union had no legal right to interfere with this. The police were directed to afford sufficient effective police protection to the petitioner to carry on the business without interference from the labour union or its followers.

Issues: The main issue was whether the labour union had the legal right to insist on the work of unloading goods being done by their workers and not by the petitioner's permanent employees.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the labour union had no legal right to insist on the work of unloading goods being done by their workers and not by the petitioner's permanent employees. The police were duty bound to protect this right and should not shirk from their responsibilities under the guise that the dispute relates to labour.

Final Decision: The original petition was allowed, and respondents 1 to 3 were directed to afford sufficient effective police protection to the petitioner to carry on the business in his establishment without any interference from the labour union or its followers.

Judgment :-

1. When C.M.P. 33615/88 came up for orders, counsel appearing on either side wanted the original petition itself to be disposed of. Accordingly, after hearing them in detail, I am disposing of the original petition itself.

2. Petitioner is having a factory engaged in the manufacture of cement hollow bricks. That factory started functioning on 11-11-1988. Petitioner has 7 workers in the establishment. Of them, M/s. K. C. Ayyappan and K.T. Thankappan are engaged for loading and unloading work. Raw materials like cement, sand and metal are brought to the establishment in lorries. They are unloaded by the above mentioned workers. Finished articles namely, cement hollow bricks are loaded in the vehicles by those employees.

Functioning of the factory proceeded smoothly till 2-12-1988. At about 9 a.m. on that day 4 persons came to the petitioner's establishment stating that they are the loading and unloading workers in the area, that they are to attend to the loading and unloading work in the petitioner's establishment and that they will not allow the petitioner's employees to do the said work. At about 11 a.m. on that day a lorry came to the gate of the establishment to load cement hollow bricks. The vehicle was obstructed. At the intervention of Sri T.M. Meethian Ex-M.L.A. the obstruction was lifted. On 3-12-1988, when obstruction was caused by certain outsiders, petitioner complained to the 3rd respondent. Ext. P1 is the copy of the petition filed before the 3rd respondent. The 3rd respondent came to the establishment and advised the people gathered there to desist from causing any obstruction. When obstructions were caused on oth and 10th December, 1988, complaints were made to the 3rd respondent. On those days women were also in the gathering for obstructing the ingress and egress of the vehicle to and from the petitioner's establishment. The 3rd respondent, it is alleged, expressed his inability to interfere with their activities because of the absence of women police constables. Petitioner is stated to have given a complaint to the 2nd respondent on 16-12-1988. That did not bear any fruit. According to the petitioner, some leaders of Marxist Communist Party met him on 17th and asked him to yield to the demand of the Union, that all the loading and unloading work should be allowed to be done by the members of the Union and that the regular workers of the establishment should not be engaged to do such work. The petitioner expressed his inability to acceed to that demand. Petitioner approached respondents 1 to 3 for effective protection in carrying on the business. They are not affording any protection. Consequently, the business, according to the counsel, has been closed down on 20-12-1988. On these averments petitioner has approached this court inter alia praying for the issuance of a direction to respondents 1 to 3 to give adequate police protection to run the establishment with his workmen without any obstruction from the 4th respondent and its followers.

3. The Superintendent of Police, Ernakulam Rural, Alwaye, has filed a statement admitting receipt of Ext. P1 petition. According to him, on receiving the said petition the Sub Inspector of Police, Kothamangalam, along with policemen went to the spot, that the persons gathered there had not caused any obstruction, that on enquiry it was revealed that they gathered there in order to get some work in the company which is newly opened, that the Sub Inspector of Police directed them to approach the Labour Office, that the persons gathered there immediately dispersed and that if any complaint as mentioned in the O.P. has been received before any of the officers certainly necessary action would have been taken.

4. The 4th respondent in his counter affidavit states that the petitioner has not got his own permanent workers, that he is not maintaining any register or records as provided by the Kerala Headload Workers Act, 1978, hereinafter referred to as 'the Act', that since











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