1. The writ petition is directed against the order passed by the first respondent/Labour Officer in A/572/2007 dated 20.12.2007, under which the first respondent has ordered that the dismissal of one G.Karunakaran, Working President of the second respondent Union is opposed to section 33(1)(b) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, (in short, "the Act") since the conciliation proceedings in respect of the dispute are pending and the dismissal has been ordered without approval from the Conciliation Officer.

2. The writ petitioner is a publisher of various magazines and one G.Karunakaran, working as Assistant Printer, was said to have been involved in the charge of misconduct, in respect of which a charge sheet was issued on 9. 2006 and he was kept under suspension pending enquiry. It is stated that on 19. 2006, the second respondent Union has raised an industrial dispute regarding retrenchment, lock out, etc., including that of suspension of G.Karunakaran and that dispute was numbered as A/514/2006 by the first respondent.

2(a). The first respondent issued notice on 19. 2006 for enquiry which was posted on 29. 2006, 10. 2006 and 110. 2006. On 111. 2006, the petitioner sub