M.M.PUNCHHI, J.

1. To the ever expanding list of unfair labour practices, well known to Industrial Law, does the practice of retrenching a workman, close to his attaining a years continuous service, in order to forestall his attaining rights under Chap. V-A, Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, deserve addition by judicial recognition, is the tricky question which stands surfaced in this petition under Art. 226 of the Constitution. Therein a challenge has been made to an award of the Labour Court dated 4-4-1983 published in the Punjab Government Gazette on 8-7-1983. Annexure P. 6 to the petition.

2. We shall take note of the facts as observed bv the Labour Court. It had before it seven references in which industrial disputes raised by respondents 2 to 8 herein were individually referred by the Punjab Government for adjudication. By means of the impugned award, they were disposed of together. The services of the respondents-workmen were terminated on 28-5-1979 at a time when they had put in 230 days of service with the petitioner, who is a Co-operative Bank, registered as a Society under the Punjab Co-operative Societies Act, 1961. The terminal action was similar to all workmen. T