Kerala HC stays tribunal’s order reinstating 3,055 KSRTC empanelled workers

Kochi: High court has stayed, for a period of three months, the Thiruvananthapuram industrial tribunal's order directing KSRTC to reinstate 3,055 empanelled workers who were terminated from service.A bench of Justice Viju Abraham issued the interim order on a petition by T S Santhosh of Alappuzha and others, who are rank holders in lists prepared by PSC for various appointments in KSRTC. Earlier, the tribunal had issued an award in a dispute between the KSRTC chairman and KSRTC Workers' Federation, a union representing the empanelled workers in the corporation. In its award, the tribunal directed KSRTC to reinstate and regularise all eligible workmen who had completed 240 days of continuous service within 12 calendar months preceding the date of retrenchment. It further directed that such reinstatement be effected in accordance with seniority in their respective posts.Challenging the award, the petitioners contended that the impugned directions were not in accordance with the Kerala HC and Supreme Court decisions concerning the regularisation and reinstatement of empanelled workers in KSRTC. The bench issued notice to the respondents, granted an interim stay of the tribunal's award and adjourned the matter to July 1 for further consideration.