Govt bans Bosch strike; union files petition in HC

Even as the Karnataka government prohibited the 25-day-old strike by Bosch Limited workers on Friday, the company’s labour union filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court against the order and decided to intensify the stir further.

In its order, the government prohibited the strike with immediate effect. The order has been issued as per Section 10 (1) sub-clause [c] and [d] and Section 10(3) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

In a statement on Friday evening, Bosch called it “a setback to the union”.
However, Mico Employees Association President S Prasanna Kumar called the decision of the government unlawful. “The Labour Minister wanted to hold a conciliatory meeting on Friday. But the meeting was postponed even without informing the union and the government clamped the prohibitory orders. We have filed a writ petition in the High Court and it will be called for hearing on Monday, ”he said. He accused the government of working in favour of the management rather than for the employees of the company. “The prohibitory orders are yet to be received on the union and we will continue the strike as of now,” he said.

Prior to the declaration, the Labour Commissioner and the Additional Labour Commissioner had convened multiple conciliatory meetings between the company management and members of the workmen union, with special interventions from several senior government officials and ministers from Karnataka.

“We have gone through all avenues like bipartite and tripartite discussions to settle it (the strike). And, we followed the rule book before clamping the prohibition,” said Commissioner of Labour D S Vishwanath. Bosch officials said, “Given the unwillingness and lack of consensus among various factions of the workmen union, unfortunately, these proceedings did not result in a mutually agreeably resolution.”
They said that Bosch is one of the highest paymasters in the manufacturing industry and offers welfare and medical benefits to workmen associates. “Our current offer on the wage negotiation to the workmen union is also one of the best amongst comparable Industries,” they claimed.

The company said it would continue to adopt a fair but firm approach and urged its Workmen Union to call off the indefinite illegal strike, report to work and restore normalcy.

Around 2,600 employees affiliated to the Mico Employees Association, the official trade union at Bosch, have been on strike from the first shift after the company management failed to fulfil their demands.