HC rejects PIL for recovery of bus strike loss from staff

The Madras High Court today rejected a PIL seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to recover the loss incurred by the state during a recent bus strike from the transport employyes who took part in the stir.
The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose declined to entertain a plea by Chennai residents N Janardhanan and M Muthukumar, saying it pertained to service matters.
The bench said, "Whether action should be taken against any employee or whether loss caused to an employer should be recovered from the employee are service matters in respect of which PIL cannot be entertained.

"PIL is misconceived.. dismissed," it said.
The petitioners submitted that the 8-day strike by the transport unions had not only affected the public but also the transport corporations which incurred financial loss.
Asserting that shifting of the financial burden on the public through fare hike would set a bad precedent to other government employees, the petitioners prayed for a direction to the government to take immediate steps to recover the loss from the transport employees who participated in the strike.

On January 19, the state government had increased the prices of tickets of buses operated by transport corporations by about 20 to 54.54 per cent, drawing criticism from various quarters.

The decision came after the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation workers, owing allegiance to 17 trade unions, including those affiliated to the DMK and Left parties, had launched a stir on January 4 after talks with it over wage revision failed.
However, the workers had withdrawn their strike on January 11 after the Madras High Court appointed an arbitrator to settle their wage-related dispute with the government.
Following protests by opposition parties and the public, especially students, over the "steep" hike, the government had on January 28 revised the bus fares marginally.