Resume duty by April 15: Bombay High Court tells striking MSRTC employees

MSRTC employees strike in Mumbai. Pic/Satej Shinde

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the striking Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees to resume duty by April 15 and asked the corporation to take back its decision initiating disciplinary action against the errant workers.

Thousands of employees of MSRTC have been on strike since last November demanding that they be treated on par with state government employees and that the cash-strapped transport corporation be merged with the government.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik noted that the Maharashtra government has accepted the report submitted by a three-member committee by which the demands for the merger of MSRTC with the state government and for the corporation workers to be treated as state government employees have not been accepted.

The government would, however, provide financial assistance to MSRTC for four years.

"A policy decision has been taken by the government. If MSRTC employees are aggrieved with this then they can challenge the same as per law," the bench said.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by MSRTC seeking the initiation of contempt action against the striking workers for not resuming duty despite orders of the high court.

Chief Justice Datta on Wednesday said that nothing survives in the petition.

"The employees should now resume duty. We request the MSRTC to grant time till April 15 to the employees to resume work and if any action has been initiated against any worker then the MSRTC shall review the same and take the employee back on duty," he said.

"We understand your (employees) concerns and anxiety. But right now resume duty. Don't lose your livelihood in this way. Also, let the public not suffer (with the ongoing strike)," the bench said.

MSRTC counsel Aspi Chinoy told the HC that those employees against whom only disciplinary action was initiated would be taken back but some workers had resorted to violence and destruction of property.

Chinoy said he would inform the high court on Thursday if MSRTC was willing to take back the cases lodged against the errant workers.

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