Don’t strike, go to labour court: Bombay HC to MSRTC staff

Mumbai: The Bombay high court, while disposing off a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking restraining orders to MSRTC employees from going on frequent strikes, has asked the employees to approach the labour court to address their salary issues. The HC said that as the strike called by MSRTC employees during Diwali was called off and the corporation had given an undertaking to provide a package to the employees, the petition has served its purpose. The court directed MSRTC employees to approach the labour court to address their grouse against the package, which was lesser than what employees in other state run transport corporations get.

A division bench of justices Shantanu Kemkar and Rajesh Ketkar was hearing the PIL filed by a journalist Jayant Satam after many people intending to travel to their home towns during Diwali were left stranded after the MSRTC staff went on strike. The petition had claimed that as many parts of the state were inaccessible, the ST buses were the only affordable means of transport and their striking work during the peak festival season was not justified.

On Tuesday, MSRTC informed the court that it had agreed to increase the package and hence nothing survived in the PIL. However, advocate Seema Chopda for the employees objected and said that while the corporation had sanctioned Rs 1076 crore based on the recommendations of the committee, it had reduced it by nearly Rs 400 crore.

She further added that as compared to other state corporations Maharashtra had the lowest compensation for its drivers and conductors. The bench upheld the submissions by the MSRTC and said that PIL had served its purpose and disposed it giving the employees the liberty to approach the labour court.