In Brief
Workmen sought reinstatement after being retrenched by Bajaj Auto Ltd. After a protracted litigation spanning over two decades, involving Labour Court, Industrial Court, Industrial Tribunal, and High Court proceedings, this appeal arose. While the Industrial Tribunal directed reinstatement without backwages and the High Court upheld the validity of retrenchment, the Supreme Court took a pragmatic view. Given that 59 of 65 litigants had already accepted voluntary retirement, the workmen's age, and that wages had been paid continuously since 2002 without work, the Court invoked Article 142 to award Rs. 10 Lakhs to each appellant as a lump sum settlement, plus gratuity calculated on current wages, in the interest of complete justice."
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