Summary:
By Express News ServiceCHENNAI: Terming a strike call by two ‘108’ ambulance workers unions in Tamil Nadu during Deepavali last year illegal, the Madras High Court has imposed costs of Rs 10,000 on the unions. A division bench of Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad was allowing a petition by P Selvarajan who said the strike was illegal. The court said the 108 Ambulance Workers Union and 108 Ambulance Workers Welfare Union, Tamil Nadu, should each pay costs of Rs 5,000 to the petitioner within 10 days, failing which the Madurai collector should take action under Tamil Nadu Revenue Recovery Act. The service had been declared a ‘Public Utility Service’ under Section 2 (n) of Industrial Disputes Act. In its order, the bench said, “The unions have issued strike notices contrary to the statutory provisions, government order and the orders of this court.”.