ANIRUDDHA BOSE,J. - (1.) The writ petitioner nos. 1 and 3 are two Trade Unions claiming to represent the workmen of Coal India Limited and its different subsidiaries. The writ petitioner nos. 2 and 4 are office bearers of the respective Unions.
(2.) The grievance of the petitioners is over their exclusion from a process of settlement which takes place in respect of the workmen of the said Company and its subsidiaries and finally culminates in National Coal Wage Agreements guiding the terms and conditions of service of the workmen of different coal companies of India. This Court was informed in course of hearing that some private sector coal companies are also guided by such agreement.
(3.) The writ petitioners claim to have affiliation with Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC). Their grievance appears to have been compounded by the fact that initially they had given a strike notice mainly on the ground that the coal companies were not improving the service conditions of their workmen. The Coal India Limited requested not to implement the strike call, inter alia on the ground that the demands would be deliberated upon before the Joint Bipartite Committee for the Coal Industry. It is on the basis of negotiation by the Bipartite Committee the National Coal Wage Agreement is arrived at.;