WORKMEN OF LAMBABARI TEA ESTATE Vs. LAMBABARI TEA ESTATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS appeal by special leave arises from an industrial award of the labour court, Assam, in a dispute between the management of the Lambabari Tea Estate (owned by the Consolidated Tea and Lands Company, Ltd., Mazbat) and the workmen of the tea estate represented by the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha. On 5 June, 1961 the Government of Assam referred this dispute by Notification No. G.L.R. 230/61/10 for the adjudication of the following matter of dispute among others :

(2.) THE facts of the dispute may now be stated briefly. On 29 October, 1960, five labourers (including some women) arrived late for work. The work at the tea estate commenced at 8 a.m. and time was announced by sounding a siren at 6, 7 and 8 a.m. The labourers were refused work as they were late. According to the sangha they were pushed out of the line by M. C. Loughlin, the manager, and according to the management they were turned away by the assistant manager but not pushed. Immediately the labourers, who numbered a few hundreds, stopped work and surrounded the office, demanding to see the manager, and seeking an assurance from him that delay in attendance would not be seriously taken note of. It seems that M. C. Loughlin who had newly taken over as manager was enforcing punctuality and this was resented by the labourers. The sangha also alleged that he was opposed to trade union activity and was precipitating matters to get rid of trade union workers on the tea estate. The sangha and the labourers stated that the demonstration was peaceful while the management alleged that the labourers were rowdy and threatening. It appears that the manager and his assistant and the staff could not or did not leave the office and remained confined there from morning to night. First the police and then the military were summoned and on the latter's arrival the crowd melted away and the labourers returned to their homes. The manager reported the matter to the police but as no action was taken, he filed himself a criminal complaint. As we are not concerned with it, we need not refer to it here.On 3 November, 1960 the management charged the labourers whose names are given in the notification with forcibly and illegally confining the manager, the assistant manager and the staff in the office between 9-30 a.m. and 8 p.m. and with shouting slogans and abusing the manager, offences under standing orders 10(a)(1) and 10(a)(7) of the tea estate. These labourers were also placed under suspension from 4 November, 1960 pending enquiry into the charges. The labourers, however, continued to work, refusing to obey the order of suspension. On 12 November, 1960 a second charge was served on them for disobeying the order of suspension, an offence under standing order 10(a)(1).

(3.) THE inquiry which was held by the management on the first charge was presided over by the manager himself. It was conducted in the presence of the assistant manager and two others. The enquiry was not correct in its procedure. The manager recorded the statements, cross-examined the labourers who were the offenders and made and recorded his own statements on facts and questioned the offending labourers about the truth of his own statements recorded by himself. The manager did not keep his function as the inquiring officer distinct but became witness, prosecutor and manager in turns. The record of the enquiry as a result is staccato and unsatisfactory. We have in many cases indicated the manner in which these domestic enquiries should be made. Reference may be made to the following :Workmen of Dem Dima Tea Estate v. Dem Dima Tea Estate [1963 - I L.L.J. 250];