After reports of disgruntled metro staff planning to go on strike on March 22 to protest working conditions and pay packages, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Thursday warned employees that they would be firmly dealt with if they disrupted services.
BMRCL officials pointed out that as metro services have been declared ‘essential services’ under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), stringent action would be taken if they went on a strike. “All persons in the employment of the metro railways are deemed to be public servants within the meaning of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code as per Section 90 of Metro Railway Operations and Maintenance Act 2002, and so they are prohibited from taking any action which jeopardises the metro services putting the commuters in difficulties and causing inconvenience to people,” said Mahendra Jain, Managing Director of BMRCL, in a press release.
The corporation has also said that it is making arrangements to ensure smooth operations and the security of commuters in the event of employees going ahead with their plan.
Mr. Jain, in the release, has advised employees to not resort to a strike. “Employees are advised not to get carried away by elements who are trying to mislead naive employees, disrupt operations and inconvenience people,” the release said adding that genuine grievances were being addressed by the grievance redressal machinery of BMRCL.
In July 2017, BMRCL employees went on strike for seven hours after police personnel allegedly assaulted metro staff at Central College station.
