The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has stayed a mass casual leave notice given by the PGI Medical Technologists Union for Monday.
The HC bench of chief justice RS Jha and justice Arun Palli on Friday passed the order on the plea from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
The notice for mass casual leave was given by the union on November 4.
Besides mass casual leave, some of the non-faculty union, other than technologists, had threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike from November 14, if their demands are not met.
The PGIMER had told the court that in the past too, similar notices were given by different unions and the latter had restrained them from going on strike in August 2019, March 2020 and March 2022. It was also argued that as per the 1968 notification under Section 3 of the East Punjab Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1947, the chief commissioner, Chandigarh, had already declared that all employment under PGIMER would be an employment to which the Act would apply.
The court observed that from previous orders, it was evident that it had been repeatedly passing such orders which are already in force. However, every time a union is elected, same demands and call for strike(s) are made pursuant to which fresh petitions are filed. Taking notice of the previous orders, the court restrained employees from going on mass casual leave.
{{/usCountry}}The court observed that from previous orders, it was evident that it had been repeatedly passing such orders which are already in force. However, every time a union is elected, same demands and call for strike(s) are made pursuant to which fresh petitions are filed. Taking notice of the previous orders, the court restrained employees from going on mass casual leave.
{{/usCountry}}Around 5,000 employees are protesting time and again over various demands, including wages on par with regular employees, promotions issue, duty hours, filling up of vacant posts and various other demands for years together. In each petition filed by PGIMER, it had said that demands were under active consideration. But since 2019, the deadlock is continuing.