M A I N   N E W S

End postal strike in 2 days, court tells govt
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Dec 13 — The Delhi High Court today set December 15 as the deadline for the government to end the nine-day-old indefinite postal strike.

The court also said the government was free to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against the six lakh striking employees.

Criticising the government for not making any “serious efforts” to resolve the issue, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arijit Passayat and Mr Justice D.K. Jain said, “Even after more than a week, postal services remain paralysed throughout the country.”

“It will be open to the government to take whatever action it deems fit to end the strike, including invoking of the ESMA,” the court said, expressing dissatisfaction over the averments in the affidavits filed by the Union Communication Ministry.

The Bench observed that “the respondent (government) has not taken any serious steps to resolve the demand raised by the employees.”

Directing Additional Solicitor-General K.K. Sud to file a compliance report on its order by December 20, the next date of hearing on PIL seeking immediate end of the strike, the court said, “Where is the question of continuing negotiations with those who have paralysed the entire postal system.”

Observing that the strike was a “very serious matter”, the Bench during brief arguments said, “Contempt action could be taken against those who would defy the court direction.”

As Mr Sud said the deadlock was mainly because of some “illegal” demands of the employees, the Bench said, “We are not concerned with legality of the demands. We want that the strike ends and postal services are normalised.”

Rejecting the ministry’s contentions in its affidavit that speed posts and registered letters and parcels were being booked in many places with the help of the arrangements made by the Postal Department, the court said it was meaningless to book them if they were not delivered.

“Is the government ready to give an affidavit that the letters and articles are being delivered. We are sorry to say that you (government) are insensitive to the people’s plight,” the court observed.