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`Court verdict on strikes will turn Govt staff into slaves`: The Pioneer
New Delhi, Aug 09: The CPI(M) on Friday asked the Centre to immediately clarify its stand on the Supreme Court ruling taking away the right of government employees to strike and said the judgment would convert the workers into slaves.
New Delhi, Aug 09: The CPI(M) on Friday asked the Centre to immediately clarify its stand on the Supreme Court ruling taking away the right of government employees to strike and said the judgment would convert the workers into slaves.
Senior Left leader Somnath Chatterjee said, "The Government and NDA parties are conspicuously silent. Not a single NDA MP or party has spoken on the issue, neither has the government responded. Where is the Labour Minister? They are prepared to accept the denial and decimation of the working class rights."
Asserting that the right to strike was the "culmination of collective bargaining process" and the last resort for workers, Mr Chatterjee said, "This right is no one`s charity, neither it is a bounty of the judiciary. It has been earned through hard struggle. No self-respecting people or nation can accept its denial."
Stating that the court order would close the door for any collective action, the veteran Marxist said the court`s suggestion that all labour disputes should be settled through tribunals was also not practical because of the large number of cases pending in courts as well as tribunals. Referring to the Tamil Nadu case, Mr Chatterjee said, "With due respect to the honourable court, there is not one word of admonition in the judgment of the employer, that is the state government, which flouted the service rules of its own employees."
Asserting that the right to strike was the "culmination of collective bargaining process" and the last resort for workers, Mr Chatterjee said, "This right is no one`s charity, neither it is a bounty of the judiciary. It has been earned through hard struggle. No self-respecting people or nation can accept its denial."
Stating that the court order would close the door for any collective action, the veteran Marxist said the court`s suggestion that all labour disputes should be settled through tribunals was also not practical because of the large number of cases pending in courts as well as tribunals. Referring to the Tamil Nadu case, Mr Chatterjee said, "With due respect to the honourable court, there is not one word of admonition in the judgment of the employer, that is the state government, which flouted the service rules of its own employees."