1This writ petition is by a trade union by name the Estate Staffs' union of South India represented by its General Secretary and Secretary of its Kerala Branch who figure as petitioners 1 and 2 in this O. P. The first respondent is an Association of Planters in South India by name the United Planters' Association of South India (UPASI) represented by its Secretary. The second respondent is the Kerala Branch of the UPASI. Respondents 3 and 4 are also trade unions of Plantation Staff in South India and the 5th respondent is the Labour Commissioner and the Conciliation Officer for settlement of disputes between the Management and the Trade Unions referred to above.

2There were long term settlements between the plantation staff and the Association of Planters. The last of the series expired in March 1986. Ext. P1 dated 01/03/1984 is the proceedings of the 5th respondent the Labour Commissioner by which he bad countersigned the bipartite settlement between the petitioner union and the employers' association as a conciliation settlement under S.12(3) of the Industrial Disputes Act. Ext. P1 shows that respondents 3 and 4 the rival trade unions opposed the prayer for converting the bipartit