Gokulakrishnan, J.

1. The appellant is the writ petitioner.

2. The writ petitioner is the Britannia Biscuit Co. Ltd. Employees' Union represented by its Secretary. The writ petition was filed praying for the issue of a writ of declaration, after calling for the records from the Assistant Commissioner of Labour (Headquarters), Tamil Nadu Labour welfare Fund Buildings, Teynampet, Madras (first respondent) relating to the File D. Dis. No. S4/84421/81, dated 14th October, 1981 (filed along with the petition and marked as Ex. A) as null and void and consequently directing the fifth respondent (The Assistant Commissioner of Labour, Chengalpattu at Madras) in No. 1254/81 dated 6th October, 1981.

3. The allegations of the petitioner-Union are The petitioner-Union has a substantial following among the workmen in the second respondent-Company. The petitioner-Union has entered into settlements under S. 12(3) of the Industrial Disputes Act (hereinafter referred to in this Judgment as the Act) covering all the workmen before the Conciliation Officer. One such settlement was made on 6th April, 1979 covering 439 casual employees who were working for quite a number of years with the second re