CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the state government not to resort to ousting any of the striking workers of the various state transport corporations without proper notice and the permission of the court.
The first bench headed by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee gave a direction to this effect when the matter came up before it on Monday. The bench, however, refused to vacate its interim order passed on Friday.
The bench on Friday had held the ongoing flash strike by the employees of various transport corporations as illegal and advised them to resume work forthwith or face termination from services.
"There will be an interim order restraining the transport corporation workers, more particularly the drivers and conductors, from taking recourse to strike. The striking workers shall forthwith return for duty. Any worker refraining from attending to work and/or perform duty shall do so at his own risk of the consequence thereof including termination of his service and/or penalisation for gross contempt of the court," the bench had warned on Friday.
Monday, the bench, after hearing the side of the workers, opined that in no way the workers can be denied their legitimate dues, particularly those already deducted from their wages.It recorded its expectation that the government will clear the dues immediately by taking a loan or through any other means.
The bench, however, refused to accept the submission of the trade unions that the strike was not a 'flash' one and that due notices had already been served.
"None of the government authorities or even the transport minister are affected by the strike. Only the middle and poor class people who depend on public transport are affected. Most of them are daily wage workers. They lose a day's wage if they fail to report to work. Transport workers are entitled to their legitimate dues, but people at large cannot be put to inconvenience through such strikes. We can understand the plight of the transport workers, but we still maintain that such flash strikes cannot be tolerated. " the bench added and posted the matter before another bench of Justices S Manikumar and M Govidnaraj, which was already seized of a similar matter relating to pension and payment of pension benefits. The matter is likely to come up before the bench after lunch.