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Telangana high court refers RTC strike deadlock to labour court
The high court bench directed that the commissioner of labour should decide in the next two weeks whether or not the government would refer the issue to the labour court to resolve the crisis and bring the RTC employees’ unions to the negotiating table.
In a new twist to the ongoing indefinite strike by the employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), the high court on Monday closed the case and referred it to the labour department to find an amicable solution to the 45-day long crisis.
A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chouhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy said the court had done its best to resolve the dispute between the Joint Action Committee of RTC employees’ unions and the state government.
“But we have our own limitations and we cannot cross the same. We cannot declare the strike by the employees as illegal and at the same time, we cannot force the government to hold talks with the agitating employees. No talks can be held under pressure from the courts. We only wish the talks are held in a cordial and congenial atmosphere,” the bench observed.
The high court bench directed that the commissioner of labour should decide in the next two weeks whether or not the government would refer the issue to the labour court to resolve the crisis and bring the RTC employees’ unions to the negotiating table. “Only a labour court can decide whether the strike is legal or illegal and give directions to the government on talks,” the bench said.
Counsel for the JAC Prakash Reddy said if the government gave an assurance that their jobs would be secure and there would be no harassment, the employees would return to their duties after a proper dialogue.
But the bench refused to give any directions to the government to take the agitating employees back into the service, if they withdrew the strike. “However, we are confident that the government would not subject them to any trouble if they join duty,” it said.
Meanwhile, JAC leader E Ashwathama Reddy and T Raji Reddy, who had been continuing their indefinite fast at Osmania Hospital for the last two days, withdrew their fast, following a request from all-party leaders.
Ashwathama Reddy said the JAC would take a call on the strike after going through the copy of the high court judgement on Tuesday. He announced that the “Sadak Bandh” (road blockade) agitation announced by the JAC has been called off. “However, our agitation will continue till we take a decision on the strike following the high court direction,” Reddy said.
