Employees of Muthoot Finance who are willing to work shall be provided adequate security to join duty, the High Court has directed.
It was on a writ petition seeking police protection for the employees that the court issued the order on Monday. The court directed to implead the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary, and the Director General of Police in the case. On Monday, striking employees of the company tried to block those who reported for duty at the head office as part of their protest demanding reinstatement of those expelled from the company.
160 staff dismissed
The police prevented the striking employees when they raised slogans against the company and tried to block the staff who had reported for duty in the morning. The indefinite strike was declared after the company expelled over 160 employees in 43 branches across the State in December. The protest is being held under the aegis of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
Allegation
The employees whose services were terminated alleged that the company had expelled them for participating in the 52-day strike from August 20 last year demanding better salary.
George Alexander, Managing Director of Muthoot Finance, said the company would not be able to reinstate the employees. “There is an excess of 800 employees in Kerala. We had settled all the dues of the employees who were dismissed,” he said.
