A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the police to ensure that willing employees of Muthoot Finance Limited’s various branches in Kottayam and Ernakulam districts were allowed entry into the branch offices and that no obstruction was caused to the smooth functioning of these branches.
The Bench headed by Justice Vinod Chandran passed the directive on a petition filed by managers of the branch offices at Bannerjee road, Pachalam, Thripunithura, Kadavanthara, Kaloor, and Vaduthala, in Ernakulam district as well as the offices at Baker Junction, K.K. Road, Puthupally, and Manganam branches in Kottayam seeking police protection for running the offices.
According to the petitioners, members of the Non-banking and Private Finance Employees' Association (CITU) and the CITU State unit were preventing the petitioners from entering their offices by use of force. In fact, only 50 employees were on strike.
It was the headload workers and auto drivers hired by the trade unions who were threatening the petitioners and obstructing them from taking up their job. The management had already closed down 15 branches affected by the strike by extending terminal benefits to the employees.
In fact, the employee were getting handsome salary and other perks comparable to any public sector undertaking. The average business of branches outside the State were double the volume of Kerala branches. If branches were shifted outside the State due to strike, the petitioners would lose their jobs.
The dispute between the trade union and management was not a ground to deny the right of the petitioners to earn their livelihood thorough employment. The right to strike did not involve the right to obstruct employees willing to work. Despite lodging complaints with the police, no action had been taken to provide police protection, the petitioners contended.
When the petition came up for hearing, the State Attorney submitted that the management was not cooperating with the conciliation meetings. The court while issuing the directive also noted that the petitioners were willing to work in their respective branches.
