Transport unions are in contempt: Karnataka HC on bus strike despite restraining orders

Deccan Herald

a day ago

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court said the transport unions are in contempt by going ahead with the strike on Tuesday despite the restraining orders. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and CM Joshi orally observed this and extended till Thursday the interim order restraining the Transport Corporation Employees to put on hold their proposed strike.'You (office bearers of unions) are in contempt. We will have to issue contempt. Has the strike been suspended? There's an order passed under the Essential Services Management Act (ESMA). The strike is illegal and you can be arrested as a consequence. You cannot hold the public to ransom. This is exactly what the union is doing,' the bench orally observed..Bus strike: Opposition BJP asks Congress govt, CM to come out of 'deep slumber', resolve issue.The bench was hearing the PIL filed by J Sunil and others. At the hearing, Advocate General (AG) K Shashikiran Shetty informed the court that despite the interim order by the court, the employees of the three out of the four corporations, went ahead with the strike. He further said while the conciliation efforts are still on, a large number of people were affected by the strike.Answering the query posed by the bench, the AG said that on July 17, the state government had issued a notification under the ESMA declaring the strike as illegal. Meanwhile, the counsel representing the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Trade Unions of KSRTC employees submitted that the strike has been suspended and that BMTC services are plying 90 per cent to the capacity. The advocate said that he does not represent the unions of employees and other transport corporations.At this stage, the bench said that it is not concerned with the negotiations and that the unions are free to hold discussions with the state government in whatever manner."You cannot put the public to inconvenience. As per law, the strike is illegal,' the bench said while asking the advocate of the union to report about calling off the strike. The court also ordered notice to other unions representing transport employees.The PIL stated that the proposed indefinite strike violates the right to mobility guaranteed under Article 21 of the constitution. The petitioner placed the August 1, 2025 circular issued by the KSRTC that prohibited the employees from participating in any strike by citing ESMA and Industrial Disputes Act. The circular also invoked the 'No work No pay' principle and warned the employees of disciplinary action.