M.Y.EQBAL, J. - (1.) HEARD the counsel for the parties.
(2.) IN this writ application the petitioners seek a direction upon the respondents to regularise and permanently absorb their services as regular employees of respondent No. 2, Steel Authority of Indiain -Bokaro Steel Plant and further to allow them the same wages and other benefits which the other employees are getting. Petitioners case is that they have been continuously working for more than 20 years although they were appointed under labour contract. Their case is that after change of contractor, the new contractor engaged the same labourers including the petitioners for the execution of the work and in this way they have been continuously working through contractor for the last several years.
(3.) A counter -affidavit has been filed by respondents 3 to 6 in which it is stated, inter alia, that for the same relief the petitioners through Union moved the Supreme Court by filing civil writ petition being writ petition (c) No. 173/99. The said writ petition was filed in a representative capacity by several labourers including these writ petitioners. The Supreme Court refused to entertain the writ application on the ground that the question of abolition of contract labour was under consideration before the Advisory Board under Section 10 of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970. It is further stated in the counter affidavit that the matter is still sub -judice before the Advisory Board.;