'Not on the cost of people's life': court on UP electricity workers' strike

Prayagraj: On electricity department employees striking in Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad High Court observed on Monday that demands could not be made at the cost of the life of people. It also queried why the striking employees are not arrested yet, PTI reported.

A bench of acting Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice S D Singh asked the Additional Advocate General for action to be taken against the striking employees.

The court called the strike matter serious and added that the striking employee's demands could not be made at the cost of the life of people. It asked the state to submit the monetary loss caused due to the strike.

On March 17, a division bench comprising Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Vinod Diwakar issued bailable warrants against the office bearers of the Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukt Sangarsh Samiti through its organiser Shailendra Dubey and several others, asking them to appear before the court at 10 am on March 20.

On Thursday night, the electricity department employees in the state started a three-day strike but ended it after multiple rounds of talks between their leaders and state energy minister AK Sharma. Ending the strike, the leaders said that they "respect the directions of the chief minister".

"Respecting the directions of Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath), the positive dialogue with the energy minister, and respecting the high court, we have decided to call off our 72-hour symbolic protest one day in advance in view of massive public interest," Shailendra Dubey, convener of Vidyut Karmacharis Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, said.

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