In a significant ruling, the Madras High Court stated that individual settlements in industrial disputes cannot bind all workers, as the majority cannot be determined based solely on the remaining employees during litigation. Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy upheld a wage settlement award from the Industrial Tribunal in Chennai concerning workers at Manali Petrochemicals Ltd, which is majority-owned by SPIC Organics Ltd. The case arose from the company's attempts to change service conditions, including reducing the retirement age and altering leave policies. The employees' union objected to these changes, leading to a dispute that was ultimately resolved by the tribunal, which rejected the company's proposed changes to retirement age and pension modifications. The court's refusal to interfere with the tribunal's findings reinforces the necessity of collective bargaining in labor disputes.