The Bombay High Court | file photo
| Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre
Common citizens should not suffer, the Bombay High Court remarked on Friday asking the Maharashtra government what steps it was taking to “curb the menace” of illegal strikes, amid an agitation by state employees.
Referring to the ongoing indefinite strike by government employees seeking restoration of the old pension scheme, the Bombay High Court on Friday asked the Maharashtra government what steps are taken to curb the menace of illegal strikes and remarked, “common citizens should not suffer.”
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep Marne was hearing an application filed by advocate Gunratan Sadavarte seeking a direction from court to 17 lakh government employees to withdraw their ongoing strike. On March 14, this year paramedics working in State run hospitals, sanitation workers, nurses, ward boys and teachers joined the strike.
Advocate General Birendra Saraf told the court that the strike was illegal and said the government was making all endeavours to ensure that no person suffers due to the strike. He said the employees didn’t have a fundamental or a moral right to strike and must be prohibited from continuing the strike.
The bench said, “Our anxiety is that the common citizens should not be deprived of essential service. Common citizens should not suffer. We want to know what steps the state is taking to curb this menace. What are the modalities and steps the government is taking to ensure basic amenities and essential services are made available to people,” the court added.
The court also noted that people have the right to protest but the government has to ensure steps are taken so that no one suffers.
The bench directed Advocate Sadavarte to add all the striking unions as a party to the application and posted the matter to be heard on March 23.
