Mumbai: An unregistered union, allegedly backed by a political party, has been restrained from causing disturbance to the patients and staff at the Hinduja Hospital through “unfair labour practices”. Maharashtra Navnirman Kamgar Sena is accused of creating a ruckus at the hospital in 2018, while demanding to make contractual employees permanent.
According to the hospital, the incident occurred on March 9, 2018, when a contractual staff insisted the human resources (HR) executive to hand over an appointment letter. When the HR tried to explain that his demand couldn't be met as per the rules, the man consumed some liquid and created a ruckus.
Union allegedly tried to make 240 contractual employees permanent
The hospital alleged that the union tried to take advantage of the situation and pressured to make 240 contract employees permanent. It further claimed that around 40 people, including union members and political workers, barged into the premises and abusively sloganeered.
On March 13, 2018, the hospital approached the industrial court, seeking to cease the union's operation. The medical institution said that it already has a recognized union, Bhartiya Kamgar Sena, hence the management did not indulge into talks with Maharashtra Navnirman Kamgar Sena.
In defence, the latter union asserted that 534 permanent hospital employees are its members. Claiming that they are being to leave the union and join the recognised ones, Maharashtra Navnirman Kamgar Sena underlined that the hospital has refused to make a “large number of contractual employees permanent”. Hence, it took up their cause. “The hospital has surreptitiously been negotiating with Bhartiya Kamgar Sena behind the backs of its members,” it added.
After hearing both sides, the court held, “The above acts (March 9, 2018, incident), of the union and its members amounts to unfair labour practices. Looking at their acts, it is necessary to prevent them from committing coercive acts.”
