JUDGMENT

Heard.

2. The writ petition has been filed by the management challenging the order of the Tamil Nadu Government issued in G.O.D. No. 642, Labour and Employment Department, dated 18.12.2020. By this order, the State Government (represented by the 1st Respondent), in the exercise of its powers under Section 10 (1)(d) of the Industrial Disputes Act, referred the dispute between the petitioner management and the 2nd Respondent workman to the Labour Court, Kanchipuram, for adjudication. The Labour Court was requested to dispose of the industrial dispute within three months from the date of receipt of the order of reference. However, due to the interim stay obtained by the management from this Court, more than four years have now elapsed without any progress in the adjudication of the dispute.

3. In the annexure to the order of reference, the terms of reference were specified. It was stated that the issue to be adjudicated was whether the claim of the trade union that 72 workers, whose names were listed in the order, were subjected to a lockout by the management was valid, and whether their demand for full wages and reinstatement for the period of the alleged lockout was justified