CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has restrained the management of the Railway Employees Co-operative Credit Society Limited in Chennai from passing final orders on the disciplinary proceedings against its staff members, pending before the Labour Court under the Industrial Disputes Act.
Justice T S Sivagnanam gave the direction while passing orders on a batch of writ petitions filed by 36 members of the Railway Employees Co-operative Society Staff Union, including O Ramesh, on March 8 last.
According to the petitioners, who are represented by its general secretary RC Cyril Thiyagaraj, the staff members against whom charges are pending, were transferred to other branches of the Society in neighbouring states by orders passed by the Society’s Chief Executive in October, December 2014 and January 2015.
Judge Sivagnanam noted that if the several charges against employees are proven in a court of law, it will result in the imposition of a major penalty. The court went on record to express its surprise that 221 disciplinary proceedings initiated against 46 employees points to several employees being issued multiple charges. Responding to this, Society’s management said the list has to be verified and it was not final.