According to Escorts group vice-president (HRD and industrial relations) HN Arora, the high court gave this decision on Wednesday while admitting a writ petition by the workers' union.

Meanwhile, the company management and union representatives have been holding talks with district authorities to resolve the deadlock.

This is the first time that both parties have held discussions together with the authorities. "We are willing to talk with the workers union to find an amicable solution. However, the management will not give in to any pressure," said Arora.

The union held its general body meeting (GBM) on Wednesday, which was attended by senior office bearers of the national workers body, Hind Mazdoor Sabha.

With about 10,000 workers on strike, the company is understood to have incurredlosses to the tune of Rs 250 crore during the period of the strike. The affected companies include flagship Escorts Ltd, Escorts Yamaha Motor Ltd, Escorts JCB Ltd, Escorts Class and Escorts Construction Equipment Ltd.Workers at 18-odd manufacturing units of the Escorts group in Faridabad and Noida went on an indefinite strike on November 23. The workers are demanding a raise in wages and productivity-linked incentives in the new long-term wage agreement which is signed every three year between the management and the workers.

In a bid to increase productivity and lower down the labour cost, the management wants workers to switch over to industrial engineering norms.The management, which has termed the action of the union as coercive, has refused to give in under pressure.

The management had decided to take legal action against the union if it carries on with the strike which had been termed as illegal. However, sources said that the management was not in favour of sacking all the workers.

The union hadalleged that the management has been trying to break the unity of workers by awarding incentive packages for different companies and units in the group, particularly to the workers of the tractor division of the group. A major portion of the group's turnover comes from its tractor division.