ISSUE:
Whether the workmen were entitled to the payment of wages for the period during which the mills were closed?
Whether the functions of the Works Committee under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, envisage collective bargaining?
RULE:
The Works Committee’s role is limited to promoting good relations between the employer and the workmen and resolving minor disputes, not deciding significant changes in employment conditions.
The Works Committee cannot supersede the Unions for the purpose of collective bargaining.