No need for urgent hearing on strike, says High Court

The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to give an urgent hearing on a plea seeking a direction to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation employees to end their indefinite strike, which began from January 5 due to non-payment of salary.

“Why today? The matter can be taken up later also. List it for hearing tomorrow before the appropriate bench,” a Bench of Justices B. D. Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar said.

A petitioner, who claims to be a social worker, moved the HC for urgent listing of the matter on the ground that if garbage is not removed, there is “apprehension of an epidemic”.

‘Contempt of court’

Advocate Sugriva Dubey, appearing for petitioner Salek Chand Jain, submitted that the EDMC is in contempt of court by disobeying the High Court order that salaries to all its employees, including sanitation workers, should be paid by the 7th of every month.

The counsel told the court that the Delhi government and the corporation should immediately be directed to release salaries to sanitation workers who went on strike.

The petitioner also said that the authorities should be asked to impose Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against nearly 25,000 municipal employees of the EDMC. — PTI