V. BHARGAVA, J. :- The petitioner, the Swadeshi Cotton Mills Co. Ltd. Kanpur, carries on business of the manufacture and sale of cotton cloth, mainly dhoties and Saries, and has its registered office at Kanpur. The petitioner company alleged that, from August 1952, the stock of cotton cloth manufactured by the applicant company began to accumulate and the sales of the said cloth fell due to adverse market conditions. The applicant company was consequently forced to take a decision to play off its workmen in relays and on 23-10-1952 the management of the company put a notice playing off the workmen who were employed in the manufacture of textile cloth, under standing order No. 16 of the certified standing orders of the company.

During this play off and for some time after it, a large number of workmen applied to the management of the company requesting that the period of play off be converted to one of leave with wages. This request was acceded to by the management. Subsequently the accumulation of stock began to decrease as a result of increasing sales and therefore the management decided against any further play off. During the period of play off, the opposite parties Nos.