The Hindu : Redress mechanism?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 16, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Redress mechanism?

Sir, — Your editorial, "Supreme Court and the right to strike," ( Aug. 13 ) was brilliant. Instead of fully curtailing the workers' right to strike, the Court could have directed that in case of any future disagreement between the Government and its employees, the matter would be solved by a fast track court.

Sutirtha Sahariah,
New Delhi

Sir, — The action of the Tamil Nadu Government in dismissing several hundreds of its employees and the Court's obiter are unfortunate. The Court should set up a Constitution Bench to review its orders especially in the light of mass upheaval in the working class. The Governments should evolve an effective mechanism for redress of their employees' genuine grievances within a timeframe.

V. M. Damodaran,
Chennai

Sir, — I have been following the debate on the issue in these columns. Some arguments against the right to strike of Government employees are large-scale unemployment, inadequate working conditions in private sector, etc. I fail to understand how curtailing the democratic rights of Government employees will improve the inferior conditions of work in private and unorganised sectors.

Saroj. C.,
Hisar, Haryana

Sir, — The verdict means that the right to strike can no longer be an inalienable part of the workers' rights. It has undermined the freedom of association, right to organise, and the spirit of collective bargaining. What is left of the workers' right is an environment of perpetual subservience without an effective redress mechanism. It is noteworthy to recollect how The Hindu's then proprietor and Editor, Kasturi Ranga Iyengar, championed the cause of the striking B&C mills workers.

Charles Dony,
Chennai

Sir, — The revered Kasturi Ranga Iyengar championed the cause of those workers who were struggling for mere survival; the present day Government servants are several shades better.

M. Rajaraman,
Pondicherry, T.N.

Sir, — If you have been a victim of a Government employees' strike, you will thank the Supreme Court. The recent Kerala Government employees' strike that lasted over 50 days affected the day-to-day affairs of the general public not only in Kerala but in the whole country. The general public also has rights.

Sreeram,
Tripunithura, Kerala

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