HC gives labour authorities 10 weeks to decide UTC union plea

Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court on Tuesday directed the labour commissioner and the registrar of trade unions to decide within 10 weeks a plea by the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) Employees’ Union alleging interference by senior corporation officials in its functioning.A single-judge bench of Justice Manoj Tiwari observed that “only the labour commissioner or the registrar -- not corporation officials -- has the authority to intervene in trade union affairs”. The court directed the authorities to examine the circumstances under which the alleged interference took place before deciding the matter, adding that any unauthorised intervention would be contrary to the rules.According to the petition, the union is registered under the relevant trade union laws and any employee of the corporation is eligible for membership.

It also stated that only the union has the authority to revoke a member’s membership for violating its rules.The petition alleged that senior corporation officials, including the corporation secretary, had interfered in its internal affairs and attempted to influence its functioning. It argued that such issues fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the labour commissioner and the registrar of trade unions.