'Humans may not have acted in normal manner amid pandemic's deleterious effects'

The testing times of the Covid19 pandemic has had its deleterious effects due to which humans may not have acted in the manner they would have if things were normal the Bombay High Court said in its order directing striking employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC to resume duty by April 22A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik said if the employees report to duty on or before April 22 then MSRTC shall not take any action against them and shall also take back any disciplinary action initiatedThousands of MSRTC workers have been on strike since November 2021 demanding that they be treated on par with state government employees and that the transport corporation be merged with the state governmentThe court had on Thursday passed the order a detailed copy of which was made available on FridayThe bench disposed of a petition filed by MSRTC seeking initiation of contempt action against the striking workers for not resuming duty despite court ordersIn the order the HC bench noted there was no need to find out who was at fault and that the situation necessitated for a balance to be struck between the employees and the suffering of the public due to the absence of state transport bus servicesApart from other deleterious effects that the unprecedented pandemic brought about in the lives of our countrymen surely the crisis that unfolded had its effect on the working of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC and its employees as well the court saidWe need not delve deep to find out who between the two MSRTC and its employees was at fault Suffice it to note during the testing times of the pandemic humans may not have acted in the manner they would have acted if things were normal the order saidThe bench noted that the frailties from which humans suffer gave rise to differences and disputes erupting into a situation that tended to go out of controlThe present case necessitates the court to attempt an approach for striking a balance to provide immediate succour to the employees and at the same time ensure that the activity of providing public transport services for the benefit of the common man is resumed at the earliest with full strength the bench saidThe court order said MSRTC employees who are on strike shall report for work on or before April 22 and the corporation shall permit them to join duty and not take any disciplinary action against them adding that any action if already initiated against such employees shall stand withdrawnThe court also directed the state government to decide expeditiously the applications made for compensation for the death of an employee due to Covid19Noting that the court expects striking employees to abide by the directions the HC said Any failure to abide by these directions would expose employees to be proceeded against by MSRTC in accordance with lawThe Maharashtra government had earlier this week told the court it has accepted the report submitted by a threemember committeeThe state government had said demands for merger of the MSRTC with the state government and for MSRTC employees to be treated as state government employees have not been acceptedThe government would however provide financial assistance to the MSRTC for a period of four yearsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever