Delhi HC extends curbs on strike by Metro staff

New Delhi: In a major relief to lakhs of commuters, the Delhi high court on Friday extended its interim order restraining a section of Delhi Metro employees from going on strike over demands related to pay hike and promotions.

Hearing a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) plea, Justice Pratibha Rani restrained the staff council members from going on strike till further order and asked them to file a response. The court listed the matter for hearing on September 4.

The court on Friday issued fresh notices to some of the office bearers of DMRC staff council, who were not served earlier, and listed the matter for further hearing on September 4.

The court sought to know from additional solicitor-general (ASG) Sandeep Sethi, appearing for the DMRC, whether the petition would be infructuous now as the proposed strike date of June 30 is over.

The ASG said the petition cannot be infructuous as the employees have given three notices that they will resort to strike if their demands are not met.

On June 29, the court restrained a section of the Metro employees from going on strike. The DMRC is in dispute with its non-executive employees over pay scales and arrears. The 9,000 employees in the category had warned on June 30 of a strike if their demands were not met.

This workforce consists of station controllers, drivers, technicians and maintenance staff who facilitate day-to-day operations of the Metro.

These employees held a symbolic protest from June 19 onwards by holding sit-ins on Metro platforms, wearing black armbands and boycotting lunch and rest hours.

The employees threatened to go on total strike from June 30.

D13