The Kerala High Court on Friday slammed the trade unions in the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), especially the Kerala State Road Transport Employees Association (CITU), for holding dharna before the head office, blocking entry of staff and CMD when the court has initiated a process of evolving a method to bring the corporation back on track.
Justice Devan Ramachandran made the observation when a writ petition seeking a directive to the KSRTC to pay salaries to the employees on time came up for hearing.
During the hearing, the court told counsel for the Kerala State Road Transport Employees Association that the union should have stopped the strike on June 8 itself when the court directed the KSRTC to pay the salaries of drivers, conductors, and stores and mechanical staff without delay.
However, the association went on a strike and blocked the entrance to the head office. The court orally observed that if the unions went on with disruptive activities, the court would stop considering the case. In fact, the unions should have trust in the court.
Counsel for the association submitted that advance notice had been given for holding dharna in front of the head office. The dharna was organised to bring to the notice of the employees and the public that the CMD was not attending the office for the last one month. He submitted that the dharna began even before the court passed its first order.
He, however, added that taking note of the effort taken by the court, the association was willing to cease all such actions against the KSRTC and await the final decision of the government in this matter, as has been already ordered by the court.
The court recorded his submission that strikes and disruptive activities on the premises of the KSRTC and its offices would be immediately ceased and gave the association liberty to do so in other appropriate areas of their choice.
The court also recorded the submissions of all the counsel for the various trade unions that their activities will not in any manner disrupt the functioning of the KSRTC, its offices, schedules, or its trips until the next posting date
The court, while granting more time to the government to resolve the problems of the corporation, clarified that it was only because the Chief Minister had agreed to chair a meeting that the court was now granting more time. The court said it would issue orders to pay salaries at least from the month of August on the fifth.
