In Brief
A trade union challenged the permanent closure of a manufacturing unit operated by Kran Rader Pvt. Ltd. The dispute centred on whether the unit employed more than 100 workers, which would trigger statutory protections under Chapter VB of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Industrial Court found 115 workers; the High Court found 99. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's finding, holding that 16 disputed employees could not be proved to have 'worker' status. Since the workforce was below 100, statutory closure procedures did not apply. The Court awarded Rs. 2,50,000 compensation to workers who had not voluntarily settled their claims, but excluded those who had already accepted compensation."
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