1. The second respondents in both the writ petitions were workmen in the writ petitioner establishment, which was earlier a Company registered under the Companies Act with the name "Tamil Nadu Dairy Development Corporation" and the same was fully owned by the Tamil Nadu Government and later became a co-operative society registered under the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Societies Act and it is "State" under Article 12 of the Constitution.

Background facts of the Writ Petitions:

The petitioner establishment supplies milk to the residents of Chennai in the brand name of "AAVIN" besides carrying out various other functions and the details of the activities of the petitioner are not necessary for deciding the issues involved in these writ petitions.

1.1. There were about 1500 workmen employed by the writ petitioner for its various activities. Majority of the workmen employed by the petitioner were members of the Tamil Nadu Dairy Development Corporation Employees Union (shortly "the Employees Union") a Trade Union registered under the Trade Unions Act, 1926.

1.2. The Employees Union resolved various disputes relating to the workmen employed by the petitioner by holding talks with the writ