HC allows police to arrest PGIMER employees going on strike

Deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police asked to ensure that court orders are complied with

Chandigarh: Office bearers of employee unions at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research could be arrested if they go on strike, the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) ruled on Tuesday.

Punjab and Haryana High Court has effectively stopped PGIMER employee unions from going on strike. (Hindustan Times)

Directing the deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police to ensure that its orders were complied with, the bench of justice Arvind Singh Sangwan said office bearers of unions should be prevented from going on strike.

The court acted on a plea by PGIMER that in August 2019, HC had restrained employee unions from going on strike. However, in violation of its orders, Tarandeep Singh Grewal and Harbhajan Singh Bhatti had formed a new union, Ministerial and Secretarial Employees Union, PGIMER, holding offices of general secretary and president, respectively, and issuing threats to the hospital authorities of going on a hunger strike.

PGIMER had also referred to a communication of April 15 sent by the union in which these two employees were said to be top leaders. The response from both the leaders has been sought by July 13.