JUDGMENT

S.B. Sinha, J.—Leave granted.

2. Appellant is a Government company. In carrying out its activities of manufacture of steel and other products it appointed several contractors. Respondent Nos. 4 to 618 herein are said to have been employees of the contractors. They raised a dispute before the State Government demanding their absorption as permanent employees.

3. By a notification dated 19.11.1985, the State Government referred the following industrial dispute for adjudication by the Presiding Officer, Labour Court, in exercise of its power under Section 10(1)(c) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (for short, the 1947 Act):

"Are the contract workers employed in the nature of contract work listed as per Annexure working in the premises of Visveswaraya Iron and Steel Ltd., Bhadravathi, justified in demanding absorption as regular permanent employees of Visveswaraya Iron & Steel Ltd. Bhadravathi?

4. In the said proceedings, the workmen in their statements of claim filed on 26.02.1986 prayed for their absorption as permanent employees in the employment of Appellant. Inter alia, a jurisdictional question was raised by Appellant herein on the premise that the matter relating to