HC stays PGI strike notice

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 15

Just about three days before the proposed mass casual leave by the PGI Medical Technologists Association, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the operation of the strike notice. Taking up a petition filed by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa also issued notice of motion to the Union of India and another respondent.

The direction came after Justice Dhindsa’s Bench was told that 10,000 patients on an average visited OPDs in the PGI daily and the strike contemplated on February 18 would cause immense disruption to the smooth functioning of the institute. It would also be violative of then provisions of the East Punjab Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1947.

As the case came up for hearing, counsel for the petitioner-institute Amit Jhanji told the Bench that the writ petition was filed to assail strike notice dated January 16 issued by the PGI Medical Technologists Association for observing a day’s mass casual leave on February18.

Justice Dhindsa asserted the perusal of the impugned strike notice would reveal that the association as intending to observe the one-day strike due to non-implementation of Professor Ashok Kumar Gupta Committee’s “sixth CPC pay anomaly report for grant of grade pay of Rs 4, 600” with effect from January 1, 2006.

Justice Dhindsa also recorded Jhanji’s contention that the proposal for implementation of the committee report had been duly sent by the petitioner-institute, but was rejected by the Central Government. But the representatives of the PGI Employees Union held a meeting with the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Welfare, on December 21, 2018, in New Delhi.

In pursuance thereto, the petitioner-institute had again taken up the matter with the Ministry vide office letter dated January 17 to reconsider the proposal. The issue/grievance of the respondent-association was, as of date, still under consideration.

Under such circumstances, the token strike called would be wholly unjustified and against public interest. Issuing notice of motion for February 21, Justice Dhindsa added: “In the meantime, operation of the impugned notice dated January 16 shall remain stayed”.

Strike will cause disruption, bench told

The direction came after Justice Dhindsa’s Bench was told that 10,000 patients on an average visit OPDs in the PGI daily and the strike contemplated on February 18 would cause immense disruption to the smooth functioning of the institute. It would also be violative of then provisions of the East Punjab Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1947.