United Tea, Rubber and Local Produce Workers’ Union v. Haycarb Limited and Another – sllr 1997 volume 3 page 093

In the case between the United Tea, Rubber and Local Produce Workers’ Union (representing 94 workmen) and Haycarb Limited and Another, the court addressed the validity of a joint application filed by a trade union under section 31B of the Industrial Disputes Act, and whether subsequently filed separate applications could be referred back to the original joint application for the purpose of computing the prescriptive period. It was held that the absence of a statutory bar allows for a joint or subsequently linked application, provided prescribed requirements are met. This decision reaffirmed the principle that statutory interpretation, including the application of section 2(mm) of the Interpretation Ordinance regarding the use of singular and plural terms, should prevail where the Act does