BHARAT BARREL & DRUM MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY PVT. LIMITED vs BHARAT BARREL EMPLOYEES UNION

The Supreme Court ruled that under Sections 10, 25F, and 25FFF of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the doctrine of res judicata applies to industrial disputes, preventing the re-agitation of a person's employment status if it has been conclusively decided in a prior dispute. The Court upheld the Tribunal's finding that the workers were validly discharged on October 30, 1971, prior to the factory's closure on November 1, 1971, thus denying their claim for compensation under Section 25FFF. The judgment confirmed that the workers were not in service at the time of the closure and were not entitled to compensation.