Himachal court declares roadways staff strike illegal

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday declared the strike by employees of the state roadways as illegal and issued a directive for its immediate withdrawal. The court asked the state to look into their demands.

A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir, observed that the two-day strike by Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) employees would badly hit the common man.

"It's beaten law of the land that the employees cannot go on strike in order to press their demands. The court has already declared the strike of doctors illegal. Accordingly, we deem it proper to issue notice," said the bench.

It asked the transport principal secretary and the HRTC managing director to have a joint meeting with the employees and try to redress their legitimate grievances by June 20, the next date of hearing.

Hearing a petition by social welfare trust Community Initiatives Trust, the court also directed the respondents to file a status report before the next date of hearing.

Over 8,000 HRTC employees have threatened to go on a two-day strike starting from Monday night over demands such as regularisation of contract staff and protection of pension benefits.

HRTC has over 2,500 buses that ply within and outside the state.

The transport employees have also threatened to stop the operations of chartered and other states' roadways buses till Wednesday night.

Transport Minister G.S. Bali in a statement said that 90 per cent demands of the employees have been accepted.

--IANS

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