Case study report on SC judgement on TN Govt.

Staff Strike Ayodhya Paikaray

- 6 -
Supreme Court Judgement in The Case of Tamil Nadu Govt. Staff Strike
The Indian Supreme Court ruled in August that there is no fundamental right to go on strike. The
Indian Supreme Court made this declaration as a result of a writ petition brought by public sector
employees of the Tamil Nadu State Government who had been dismissed for launching a statewide
strike.
The strike itself was the product of resistance by government workers to the erosion of pensions
and other rights by the AIADMK state government. Workers lost benefits worth between 90,000
rupees and 125,000 rupees as a result of cutbacks over the past two years, provoking a series of
strikes and protests.
The strike was started on 2nd July 2003 by Unions affiliated to INTUC, CITU, AITUC, HMS, LPF. An
estimated 90 percent of the public sector workforce, or more than a million workers, stopped work
on July 2. Clearly shaken by the turnout, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa rammed through an emergency
amendment to the ESMA on July 4 providing her with retrospective powers to dismiss strikers and
to impose substantial fines and jail terms on anyone found guilty of striking or instigating a strike.
Over the next few days, almost 200,000 workers were summarily sacked in the largest mass
dismissal in Indian history. Workers not only lost their jobs but, in many cases their housing as well.
To fill the positions, Jayalalithaa began to hire thousands of strikebreakers on short-term contracts-
many with close affiliations to the ruling AIADMK. At the same time, police continued to make
arrests.
On July 11, the Tamil Nadu High Court dismissed legal petitions to overturn the sackings on the
grounds that the workers had not sought reinstatement through the State Administrative Tribunal -
a body consisting of one judge already inundated with cases. The High Court agreed to only one
point of the petitions: the release of those who had been arrested.
With the strike ended and no broad campaign against the sackings, the Indian Supreme Court
seized on the opportunity to establish a far-reaching precedent. On July 24, a panel of two judges
declared that employees did not have any fundamental right to strike and that such illegal strikes
had to be dealt with firmly by the authorities. It suggested, but did not order, that the state
government reinstate the sacked workers, provided that they offered an unconditional apology.
Case study report on SC judgement on TN Govt. Staff Strike Ayodhya Paikaray


- 7 -
Following the reinstatement of some 165,000 workers, the Supreme Court brought down its final
judgment on August 6 which dismissed the challenge to the ESMA law and declared that employees
had no fundamental, legal, moral or equitable right to strike.
In a 21-page ruling thoroughly permeated with hostility to the working class, the judges declared:
No political party or organisation can claim a right to paralyse the economic and industrial
activities of a state or nation or inconvenience citizens.
After stating that strike action was mostly misused, they suggested that, for redressing
grievances, employees should do more work honestly, diligently and efficiently to impress
their employer.
The Tamil Nadu government immediately took the Supreme Court ruling as a green light to
intensify its offensive.
On August 12, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa began steps to deregister 26 major trade unions and
another 200 affiliated unions. Recognition of the JACTO and COTA federations was withdrawn.
More than 6,000 dismissed workers accused of violence and instigating others to strike have not
been reinstated and are to be dragged before a panel of three retired judges from the Madras High
Court.
Rights and freedoms
The Courts have also relied on the principle that each persons fundamental rights cannot be
exercised in a manner that unduly interferes with the rights and freedoms of other citizens.
In 1998 the Kerala High Court observed as follows:
There cannot be any doubt that the fundamental rights of the people as a whole cannot be
subservient to the claim of fundamental right of an individual or only a section for the people.
The Kerala High Court went on to say: No political party or organization can claim that it is entitled
to paralyze the industry and commerce in the entire State or nation.
In Tamil Nadu, the Government Servants Rules of 1973 expressly prohibited government servants
in the State from engaging in strikes or inciting others to do so.
In considering these Rules, the Court observed that:
Case study report on SC judgement on TN Govt. Staff Strike Ayodhya Paikaray


- 8 -
Moral justification
There is no moral or equitable justification to go on strike. Government servants cannot claim that
they can take the society at ransom by going on strike. Even if there is injustice to some extent, as
presumed by such employees, in a democratic welfare State they have to resort to the machinery
provided under different statutory provisions for redress of their grievances.
The Court referred to doctors, teachers and public transport employees as categories of State sector
workers who, by striking, could bring society to a standstill. It also noted the high proportion of the
States tax revenue that was spent paying the salaries of public employees.
Duties and responsibilities
The Court stressed the need for people to be conscious not only of their rights, but also of their
duties and responsibilities. It stated that in a democracy, Government employees, they are part and
parcel of the governing body and owe a duty to society.
However the Court also tempered justice with mercy. It noted that sometimes even if employees do
not agree with their leaders, they are forced to go on strike for reasons beyond their control.
Therefore, even while enforcing the laws, the capacity of the employees to resist should also be
taken into account.
For this reason, the Court suggested that the State government, which had sacked the striking
workers, should reinstate them, except for those who had been arrested or against whom
complaints had been made to the Police.
However the Court also ruled that such reinstatement was to be on condition that the workers
tendered an unconditional apology and agreed to abide by the no-strike rules of the State. The
action of the Indian Courts appears to be in conformity with the relevant Conventions of the
International Labour Organization (ILO) that confer a right to form and join unions and engage
in collective bargaining, but do not confer a right to strike.
ILO Convention
Article 8 of ILO Convention 151 on Labour Relations in the Public Service provides as follows:
The settlement of disputes arising in connection with the determination of terms and conditions of
employment shall be sought, as may be appropriate to national conditions, through negotiation
Case study report on SC judgement on TN Govt. Staff Strike Ayodhya Paikaray


- 9 -
between the parties or through independent and impartial machinery, such as mediation,
conciliation and arbitration, established in such a manner as to ensure the confidence of the parties
involved.
Legal action
Section 27 gives trade unions immunity from legal action in respect of any tortious (i.e. delictual)
act alleged to have been committed by or on behalf of a trade union. There is no immunity for
unions or their members in respect of criminal acts.
Conclusion
There is no fundamental right to go on strike:
Law on this subject is well settled and it has been repeatedly held by the Court that the
employees have no fundamental right to resort to strike.
There is no legal / statutory right to go on strike.
There is no statutory provision empowering the employees to go on strike. Further,
there is prohibition to go on strike under the Tamil Nadu Government Servants Conduct
Rules, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as "the Conduct Rules"). Rule 22 provides that "no
Government servant shall engage himself in strike or in incitements thereto or in similar
activities."
Rule 22-A provides that "no Government servant shall conduct any procession or hold
or address any meeting in any part of any open ground adjoining any Government Office
or inside any Office premises
during office hours on any working day
outside office hours or on holidays, save with the prior permission of the
head of the Department or head of office, as the case may be.
There is no moral or equitable justification to go on strike
Government employees cannot claim that they can take the society at ransom by going
on strike. Even if there is injustice to some extent, as presumed by such employees, in a
democratic welfare State, they have to resort to the machinery provided under different
Case study report on SC judgement on TN Govt. Staff Strike Ayodhya Paikaray


- 10 -
statutory provisions for redressal of their grievances. Strike as a weapon is mostly
misused which results in chaos and total maladministration.
There exists other alternative mechanism for their grievances. Such as
Meaningful dialogue-collective bargaining
Written complaints