Case: Poona Employees Union Vs. Force Motors Limited


Decision:
0[ds]30. So far as the documents of the BKS were considered, the Investigating Officer on his inspection thereof, recorded that it had submitted a list of 2166 workers claiming them to be its members, out of which 41 were found to be ineligible. It was thus set down that 2125 members could be treated as eligible.31. On a scrutiny of the receipt books of the members, the Investigating Officer opined that no responsible official bearer of the union had signed the same and that it was not maintained as per the provision of the 1926 Act. The particulars of the contribution book were elaborately examined and the deposit of membership fee of 2166 members, was noted. The Investigating Officer was of the view that the cash book of the BKS was not in the prescribed form and was not signed by any responsible office bearer of the union. That there were some anomalies with regard to the dates of the deposits and the receipts, were pointed out as well. It was noted too that out of 2166 members, claimed by the BKS to be in its hold, 54 had either retired or resigned or expired during the period March 2003 to August 2003. On a comparison of the lists of members submitted by the unions, the Investigating Officer noted that 26 and 217 members were exclusively in the ranks of the appellant union and BKS, whereas 1908 members appeared to be common to both the entities, i.e. with dual membership.On a conjoint reading of the above referred provisions of the Act, it is abundantly and predominantly clear that the exercise of examining an application of a union in an undertaking seeking the status of recognized union whether by replacing an existing recognized union or not, is neither a routine ritual nor an idle formality. Not only the applicant-union has to be eligible to apply as per the prescriptions with regard to the extent of membership it has to command for the relevant period, its application has to be bona fide in the interest of the employees and it must not have indulged in any activity of instigating, aiding or assisting, the commencement or continuation of a strike during the said period. The detailed procedure in both the eventualities, as contemplated in Sections 12 and 14 of the Act, enjoins a participating enquiry to verily ascertain the membership pattern of the rival unions, and also the existence or otherwise of the disqualifying factors as stipulated by the Act.The factual conspectus, albeit, not wholly identical herein, the fact remains that though it had been undertaken by the appellant union that if permitted to file its affidavits, the same would not be utilized to decide the issue of membership and was endorsed as well by the Industrial Court, its decision would clearly reveal that the contents of the affidavits not only had been taken note of by it but also relied upon along with the other materials on record, to eventually hold that the appellant union held in its ranks, the majority membership of the employees of the undertaking. To this extent, we are constrained to hold that the approach of the Industrial Court in deciding the issue of membership cannot be sustained being in derogation of the letter, spirit and objectives of the procedure prescribed by the Act to determine the issue of majority of membership for the purpose of identifying the recognized union of an industrial establishment.True it is that the extract of this clause in the impugned judgment and order wrongly recordspreceding the wordHowever, the copy of the constitution available on records does not contain the schedule as well. We leave it at that.We have perused the materials on record, relevant to the issues involved and are of the considered opinion that dehors the affidavits, the evidence or the materials laid by the appellant union are not overwhelmingly determinative of its claim of majority membership as required under Sections 11,12, and 14 of the Act. The adjudication on the issue of deduction of bonus amount by the company for adjustment against the membership fee of BKS in the background pertaining thereto and narrated hereinabove does not conclusively clinch the cause in favour of the appellant union. The decision of this Court in Balmer LawrieUnion (supra) is as such of no avail to it.In the facts of the present case, in our estimate, the analysis and evaluation of the materials on record as undertaken cannot be denounced as illogical, irrational or uncalled-for and the view recorded in the impugned judgment and order is one permissible on the basis thereof.60. We have perused the impugned judgment and order. In the above presiding backdrop of facts and law, we are of the unhesitant opinion that the view taken by High Court is plausible and rational being based on a logical analysis of the materials on record and the law applicable does not merit any interference at our end. Having regard to the paramount objectives of the Act and in the interest of industrial orderliness, stability, peace and overall wellbeing as well, we find no persuasive reason to intervene at this distant point of time.