TATA ENGINEERING & LOCOMOTIVE CO. LTD. vs THEIR WORKMEN

The Supreme Court held that under Section 18(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, a settlement signed by 564 out of 635 workers is presumptively valid unless proven otherwise. The burden of proof lies with the Telco Union to demonstrate that any signatures were forged or that signatories were not members of the Sanghatana. The Court found the tribunal's conclusion that the settlement was unjust and unfair to be unsustainable, affirming that a settlement accepted by a vast majority of workers should be presumed just and fair, regardless of dissent from a minority.