Plea in HC seeks withdrawal of strike by govt employees for OPS

MUMBAI: An interim application has been filed by an advocate in the Bombay high court, seeking directions to the state government employees, which includes medical and teaching staff, who have embarked on an indefinite strike since March 14 for their demand of restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS), which has been discontinued since 2005

MUMBAI: An interim application has been filed by an advocate in the Bombay high court, seeking directions to the state government employees, which includes medical and teaching staff, who have embarked on an indefinite strike since March 14 for their demand of restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS), which has been discontinued since 2005.

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The application is filed in a 2014 public interest litigation, which had sought a permanent restraint on state government employees from going on strike. The plea stated that though chief minister Eknath Shinde had said that a committee would be formed to look into the demands of the employees, they had struck work the next day and have caused problems for patients and students among others; hence, the court should issue directions to the employees to withdraw the strike.

Lakhs of employees in Maharashtra went on an indefinite strike from March 14, 2023, seeking restoration of the old pension scheme. The strike reportedly affected the health services at government hospitals, schools, and colleges and also impacted government offices in rural areas.

The application filed by advocate Gunratan Sadavarte pointed out that the employees, who joined the strike, included public health service employees working in state-run hospitals, sanitation workers and teachers, due to such strikes patients in government-run hospitals were suffering and citizens who, required documentation from various departments, were also returning empty handed due to the absence of officials.

In his plea, Sadavarte further stated that as per information shared in the state assembly, due to the strike, patients were not getting treatment and surgeries were getting postponed. The application stated that it violated Article 21 of the Constitution of India, and the strike was being used as a political tool due to which innocent citizens were suffering.

Sadavarte also submitted that the strike went against provisions of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act, 2023 (MESMA) and referred to the orders passed by the HC in the 2014 PIL wherein it had expressed hope that no more strikes will occur leading to suffering of people and said that the striking employees were in violation of the orders.

Sadavarte clarified that while he was not against any rights of the employees, such strikes ought not to affect the citizens and students and hence, sought directions to the employees to withdraw the strike. He also prayed for the court to call for records of the strike to ascertain the number of employees on strike and also if there have been any casualties since the strike commenced.