HOCHTlEF GAMMON vs STATE OF ORISSA & ORS.

The Supreme Court addressed the powers of the government under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act regarding the discretion to refuse reference of disputes. The Court held that the government must consider relevant matters and cannot avoid scrutiny by failing to provide reasons for its decisions. The Court emphasized that the necessary parties must be included in the reference for proper adjudication, and the absence of the Company as a party was a significant oversight in the dispute regarding bonus entitlement for workers employed by the contractor.