ISSUE:
Whether, given the nature of their work and the appellants' control, the agarias(salt workers) are independent contractors or workmen under the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947?
What are the essential elements for defining a master-servant or employer-employee relationship, and how do these criteria apply to the agarias?
RULE:
Whether an individual is a "workman" under the Industrial Disputes Act depends on the employer's control over how the work is performed, beyond merely specifying what work is to be done.
This level of control, which varies by industry, is central to establishing an employer-employee relationship.