IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S.SIRI JAGAN THURSDAY, THE 7TH AUGUST 2008 / 16TH SRAVANA 1930 WP(C).No. 23848 of 2008(L) -------------------------- PETITIONER: --------------- K.JANARDHANAN, HEADLOAD WORKER S/O.LATE RAMAN, KUNNUMAL VEEDU, KALLURAVI POST KANHANGAD, KASARGOD DISTRICT BY ADV. SRI.SURESH KUMAR KODOTH SMT.V.SETHUKUTTY AMMA RESPONDENTS: ----------------- 1. KERALA HEAD LOAD WORKERS WELFARE BOARD REPRESENTED BY ITS EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ERNAKULAM. 2. CHAIRMAN, KERALA HEAD LOAD WORKERS WELFARE BOARD LOCAL COMMITTEE, SUB OFFICE, NEELESHWAR, KASARGOD DISTRICT 3. THE DISTRICT LABOUR OFFICER, KASARGOD BY GOVERNMENT PLEADER SRI. I.V. PRAMOD. THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 07/08/2008, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: S. SIRI JAGAN, J. ------------------------------------ W.P.(C)No.23848 OF 2008 ---------------------------------------- Dated this the 7th day of August, 2008 JUDGMENT The petitioner is a registered head load worker. Due to medical reasons, he could not attend work for quite some time. However, his registration was not cancelled and is current even today. According to the petitioner, when he regained his health and reported for work, he was not permitted to attend the work. Therefore, the petitioner raised an industrial dispute by filing Ext.P4 petition before the 3rd respondent, presumably under Section 21 of the Kerala Headload Workers Act. The petitioner now seeks a direction to the 3rd respondent to consider Ext.P4 and initiate proceedings under Section 21 of the Act. 2. I have heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned Government Pleader and the learned Standing Counsel appearing for respondents 1 and 2. Under Section 21, the initial authority, to consider such disputes, is the Assistant Labour Officer. In the above circumstances, the writ petition is disposed of with the following directions: W.P.(c)No.23848/08 2 The 3rd respondent shall forward Ext.P4 to the concerned Assistant Labour Officer having jurisdiction in the matter who shall take up the dispute under Section 21 and initiate proceedings and conclude the same, as expeditiously as possible, at any rate, within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment. S. SIRI JAGAN, JUDGE Acd W.P.(c)No.23848/08 3