- (1.) Leave granted. ID Reference-No. 102 of 2003 made by the Government of India to the Industrial Tribunal-cum-Labour Court, Chennai, required the Tribunal to adjudicate upon the following question: Whether the demand of the All India Bank Appraisers. Federation, Tamil Nadu to regularize the services of Jewal Appraisers in the Karur Vysya Bank Ltd., is legal and justified If so, what relief the workmen are entitled to
(2.) The reference it is evident from the above was made at the instance of the All India Bank Appraisers Federation, Tamil Nadu, espousing the cause of Jewel Appraisers in the Appellant-Karur Vysya Bank Ltd. Respondent No. 1 Karur Vysya Bank Employees' Union, appears to have filed IA No. 19 of 2007 before the Tribunal for being impleaded as a Appellant along with the All India Bank Appraisers Federation. That prayer was allowed by the Tribunal in terms of its order dated 11th July, 2008. Aggrieved, the Appellant-Karur Vysya Bank Ltd. filed Writ Petition (Civil) No. 22659 of 2008 before the High Court of Madras. The Bank also appears to have challenged the validity of the order passed by the Government making the reference to the Tribunal aforementioned in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 22658 of 2008. Both the writ petitions, we are told, are presently pending in the High Court of Madras, in which, the Appellant-Bank has secured an interim order of stay against the proceedings pending before the Trubunal.
(3.) While the position stood thus, Respondent No. 1-The Karur Vysya Bank Employees' Union, filed an application before the Central Government for making an independent reference of the very same issue as is already pending adjudication before the Tribunal. That application was declined by the Central Government on the ground that the question sought to be agitated by the Union was covered against the Jewel Appraisers by a decision of this Court in Sat Pal Puri v. Punjab State Electricity Board and Ors, 1992 3 SCC 323.;