The threat of Namma Metro employees going on strike faded away as the Karnataka High Court on Monday afternoon directed the State government to intervene, and try to resolve the issues that have cropped up between the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) management and the BMRCL Employees’ Union.
Justice A.S. Bopannna directed the State Chief Secretary to hold initial talks with the BMRCL management and the representatives of the union by June 8, and the next level of discussions by June 18, to try to evolve a mutually agreeable solution to the issues.
The Chief Secretary has also been directed to submit the outcome of the talks to the court by the next date of hearing, June 19.
Directive issued
Meanwhile, the court directed the the union and its members not to precipitate their call to go on strike while directing the BMRCL management not to precipitate the matter by taking any coercive action against the union and its members based on the strike notice. The State government can consider union’s charter of demands, which has been already rejected by the BMRCL management during the earlier rounds of talks, to reach an amicable settlemsent, the court said.
Observing that court could have merely decided the question whether the Karnataka Essential Services and Maintenances Act (ESMA) is enforcible on BMRCL’s services or not, Justice Bopanna said the court is asking the State government to intervene in the matter keeping in mind the interests of the general public, the BMRCL employees and the management.
Poll code
The court’s direction to the government came after the BMRCL counsel expressed inability to consider the financial and other policy-related demands of the union due to the then existing election code of conduct, and non-availability of the minister in charge of Urban Development Department, under which the BMRCL is placed, at present in the State. The union’s counsel pointed out that the pay package offered by the BMRCL is too low when compared to the ones offered by the Kochi, Lucknow and Delho metro corporations. The court passed the order while hearing the petition filed by the union questioning the State government’s July 2017 notification of bringing BMRCL services under the Karnataka ESMA to prohibit employees of the BMRCL from resorting to strike.
