Denial of union rights to Metro staff illegal: AITUC

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on Tuesday rejected BMRCL’s claims that employees in supervisory role can’t be members of an union.

In response to a report carried by DH on Tuesday, AITUC District General Secretary M D Harigovind said the Trade Union Act, 1926 guarantees the right to freedom of association to all employees, irrespective of whether they are supervisors or otherwise.

Supreme Court verdicts have upheld the rights of workers employed in public utility services to be under the scope of the term “Industry” under the Industrial Disputes Act, he said. According to him supervisory staff are also covered under the definition of workmen under the Industrial Disputes Act.

He said even categorisation of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) as an essential service does not preclude or undermine the right to freedom of association (unionisation rights) in any manner whatsoever. Several railway unions across the country and the KSRTC and BMTC staff and workers' union are ample testimony to this fact, he said.

Harigovind said BMRCL was yet to have ‘service rules’ prescribing the service conditions of the employees. “This is an unfair labour practice and illegal,” he added.