DECISION Mr. Iftikharul Haque has remained absent. Similar case of Allied Bank v. Syed Ali Shah being Appeal No.KAR-83 of 1996 was decided on 7-4-1996 on the basis of the decision of the Supreme Court that the company may have more than one establishments or units and each unit should have 20 or more workers to attract the application of the Standing Orders or the I.R.O. In this case the Allied Bank has several branches in the country and all such branches cannot be considered to be one unit. Each branch is to be taken separately for the purpose of the application of Standing Orders.
The p burden lies on the worker to show that the unit employs 20 or more workers and the I.R.O. And the Standing Orders Ordinance have therefore application to his case. Since this has not been proved and objection has been raised that the unit of the Bank is governed by the Shops Act the grievance petition under section 25-A, I.R.O. Was not maintainable before the Labour Court. The present appeal is also therefore disposed of as the other appeal is being not maintainable. The back benefits deposited by the bank may be refunded to the appellant.
2. In the result the appeal is allowed.