HC nod to coercive steps against strikers

Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday made it clear that the UT administration as well as the PGI administration can take all kinds of coercive steps against the staff resorting to strike in the institute. The court also asked the employees to return to work.
“The HC has stayed the notice issued by the employees body regarding strike and asked all the employees on strike to resume work immediately.Court has also empowered the UT as well as PGI administration to take all coercive action against those resorting to strike,” Amit Jhanji, senior standing counsel, Chandigarh administration, said while sharing details of court proceedings.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal passed these orders while hearing a PIL filed by PGI. The HC was informed that the abstinence of work by employees has led to breakdown of services in OPDs, rendering thousands of patients unattended. It was also informed that hospital services are essential services as defined under the East Punjab Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1947.
On Tuesday, the PGIMER, Chandigarh had filed a petition raising an issue of the adverse impact on the hospital services due to contractual/outsourced employees proceeding on an indefinite strike since October 10.
Earlier too, the HC had passed several orders to ensure functioning of the institute does not suffer due to strikes. It includes directions to arrest office-bearers of unions in case they proceed on strike/hunger strike etc.
During the hearing, a representative of the employees, who appeared in person, informed the bench that there are certain service disputes of the outsourced employees, which have neither been redressed by the contractor nor by the PGIMER. The bench observed that the pendency of any service dispute cannot become a cause for an employee to abstain from work in a hospital, which is an essential service.