In Court: KESC’s email on union’s existence challenged

Union members were told to work as common employees, said petitioner.

KARACHI:

A Sindh High Court division bench, comprising justices Athar Saeed and Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, issued notices in a petition filed by the Karachi Electric Supply Company’s (KESC) union on Monday.

The Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) filed a petition in which it challenged an internal email that was sent by the KESC management. In the email dated June 10 this year, the CBA office bearers were told that the Industrial Relations Act 2008 has outlived and labour practice is now a provincial subject, following the promulgation of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. They were told that their perks and privileges, as CBA office bearers, are also revoked. They were advised to work as other common employees and were prohibited from participating in any union activities.

Rasheed A Rizvi advocate, assisted by Farhatullah, appearing for the CBA, contended before the bench that KESC’s management is misinterpreting the law. He maintained that KESC’s internal email message to the petitioner union is invalid. He asked the court to declare the email void and to restrain KESC from implementing the message.

After the preliminary hearing, the bench issued notices to the federal law secretary, KESC management and the National Industrial Relations Commission for June 29.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2011.