In Brief
Srinibas Goradia, a hotel cashier/receptionist, was terminated after 12-13 years of service. Though designated "manager" or "executive," his actual duties were manual and non-supervisory, performed under managerial direction without independent authority. The Labour Court held him a "workman" entitled to statutory protection under the Industrial Disputes Act. The High Court reversed, focusing on his title. The Supreme Court upheld the Labour Court, applying the "dominant nature test"—examining real duties, not nomenclature. Since Goradia's substantive work was clerical and manual, lacking supervisory domain, he qualified as a workman despite his designation. The Court reaffirmed that management cannot use inflated titles to deprive employees of statutory safeguards. Reinstatement with back wages was ordered.
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