By ordering a stay on the proposed 24-hour strike by ‘108’ ambulance workers’ union in Tamilnadu on 5-6 November to press their demand for Deepavali bonus, the Madras High Court has done the right thing. Strike by staff of emergency services is unimaginable even during ordinary days. And if they don’t report to work on the festival of lights, during which fire mishaps are bound to happen, the consequences would be heavy. Having this in mind, a division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice S M Subramonium Prasad has given the order on a public interest litigation filed by P Selvarajan who sought to declare the strike call as illegal.
While issuing the stay Thursday, the judges referred to a 13 October 2017 order of the High Court restraining the workers from going on strike and warning that those who refuse to drive an ambulance would be penalised for gross contempt of court. The union has decided to go on strike for 24 hours from 8 pm on 5 November demanding a 20 per cent bonus for Deepavali which falls on 6 November.
Even as it is not right for ambulance workers to go on strike, that, too, on a crucial day, their genuine demands should also be met without fail. For, they work on holidays and festival days, and they hardly are able to spend time with their loved ones on special occasions. They work round-the-clock for the safety and well-being of others. Hence, their needs should be completely taken care of and they should not be forced to protest. It is to be noted that the HC in 2015 had observed that the strike by ambulance workers had become an annual event on the eve of Deepavali.