Delhi HC declares Indian employees strike illegal

The Delhi High Court holds the strike by Indian employees as "prime facie illegal" and asked them to resume duty at the earliest.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday night held the strike by Indian employees as "prime facie illegal" and asked them to resume duty at the earliest.

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Justice JP Singh in his six-page order passed at 9.30 pm directed the workers union not to resort to strike in the interest of air travellers.

The court restrained the workers from staging demonstrations, indulging in sloganeering or other modes of protests like go-slow within a 200-metre radius of Delhi airport.

It also asked the workers not to restrain the passengers from visiting the offices of Indian. The court directed the management of Indian to communicate its order to the striking workers within six hours.

Observing that "when there is an open channel before you to resolve the issue, there is no point in going on strike," the court asked the striking workers to participate in the reconciliation proceedings undertaken by the Chief Labour Commissioner.

The court was hearing an injunction suit filed by the management of Indian through its lawyer RS Suri seeking direction to restrain the workers on the ground that general public was suffering due to their flash strike.

The strike led to cancellation of over 40 flights and delayed many more, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in airports across the country.

The government has declared the stir illegal and warned of a lock-out.