Bombay Parsi Punchayet and workers threaten legal action against each other

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The Bombay Parsi Punchayet is planning to take legal action against the 240 class IV workers who went on strike yesterday, forcing community members to tend to their dead at the Doongerwadi or Tower of Silence. Eight volunteers had come forward to help carry two bodies into the Doongerwadi on Tuesday.

Kersi Randeria, BPP trustee, said they are consulting with their legal counsel. "We don't want this to be a show of strength, but we don't want this to happen again. We intend to verify if this mass casual leave can be construed as a strike, since they didn't give us adequate notice. Then we will take action accordingly," he said. He added that this action could possibly be deducting salary of eight days, based on the Payment of Wages Act. BPP chairman Yezdi Desai said they will take a decision in the next board meeting on Thursday.

Randeria said of the striking workers, "They work only 1.5 hours a day and are targeting the Doongerwadi, even though we've treated them like family. There was panic in the community due to the strike. We got queries from people with relatives in hospital, asking if they should keep their loved ones on life support for one more day," he said.

The Mumbai Mazdoor Union is also holding its ground. Dhunji Naterwalla, general secretary, said, "We will wait and see if BPP invites us for a discussion. If they don't, we will write to them once, after which we will conduct another strike or pursue legal options."

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