ORAL JUDGMENT

1. These two groups of petitions seek to assail almost an identical judgment and award rendered by the Labour Court, Navsari dismissing the two different References arising out of the industrial disputes raised by the workmen serving in two different departments of the respondent employer. In both the cases the dispute arose on account of retrenchment of the workmen after their layoff for certain period. Except that two departments, being Furnace Department and Processing Department are different, rest of the facts are almost identical and the References were consolidated references, giving rise to the impugned judgment and award under challenge in Special Civil Application Nos. 4837 of 2011 and 6469 of 2011 respectively. References involved in the two petitions were treated as lead references and the evidence was recorded therein. Accordingly, the said lead two petitions are filed with one page petitions, in relation to the other references.

2. In the aforesaid background, Special Civil Application No. 4837 of 2011 shall be treated as lead matter and unless otherwise required, the facts emerging in the said petition are referred to for convenience.

3. The workman raise