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2017 (3) TMI 1190 - HC - Companies LawWinding up petition - Whether an employee can maintain a Petition for winding up of a Company under section 439 r/w sections 433(e) and 434(1)(a) of the Companies Act, 1956 as a creditor based on the claim of the recovery of his unpaid salary and wages? - Held that:- On a conjoint reading of the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 and more particularly sections 434 and 439 as well as the provisions of the Trade Unions Act 1926, we are clearly of the view that looking to the mandate of sections 13 and 15 of the Trade Unions Act 1926, there is no doubt in our mind that a Petition for winding up would be maintainable at the instance of the Trade Union. This is for the simple reason that section 15(c) and (d) clearly mandates that the prosecution or defence of any proceeding to which the Trade Union or any member thereof is a party as well as the conduct of trade disputes on behalf of the Trade Union or any member thereof can be done by the Trade Union. This would clearly go to show that the Trade Union, for and on behalf of the its members can certainly prefer a winding up Petition as contemplated under section 439 of the said Act. This is for the simple reason that if the workmen have not been paid their wages and/or salary by the Company, they would certainly be a creditor or creditors as contemplated under section 439(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 1956. Section 15 clearly mandates that the Trade Union can take up this cause for and on behalf of its members. Hence, after complying with the provisions of section 434 of the Companies Act, 1956 the Trade Union would certainly be competent to present a winding up Petition. We may add here that this does not mean that in every instance when a Trade Union or a workman files a winding up Petition, the Company is ipso facto to be wound up. Whether or not there is any merit in the claim made by the workman and/or employee depends on the circumstances in each case. All that we are holding is that a Trade Union, though having a legitimate claim, cannot be shut out from approaching the appropriate forum for winding up the Company on the ground that its members have not been paid their wages and/or salaries. We therefore hold that an employee can maintain a Petition for winding up of a Company under section 439 r/w sections 433(e) and 434 of the Companies Act, 1956 as a creditor based on the claim of the recovery of his unpaid salary and wages. Further we hold that a winding up Petition at the instance of a Trade Union and for the dues that are payable to its members is maintainable as it clearly falls within section 439 of the Companies Act, 1956. The issue is answered accordingly. Let this Company Petition be now placed before the Company Judge to be decided on its own merits and in accordance with law.
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