SCCL trade union elections: Telangana HC seeks Union Labor Ministry’s response by Oct 11
There are 6 districts, 43,000 voters, and more than 700 officers of the state who will be involved in the elections
By Newsmeter Network Published on 6 Oct 2023 3:26 AM GMT
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Hyderabad: Telangana High Court has asked the Union Ministry of Labour and the Chief Labour Commissioner, New Delhi whether they can hold the elections for 15 Trade Unions in the SCCL (Singareni Collieries Company Limited) given that the Election Commission has apparently issued a tentative schedule for holding the assembly election in December 2023.
A division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice N V Sravan Kumar asked the labor ministry to inform the court by October 11.
At the request of the SCCL, a single-judge bench extended the time to hold the elections for the 15 Trade Unions till October 2023. But in the interregnum, the Election Commission of India issued the tentative schedule for holding elections in the country on December 7. SCCL again approached the court seeking a further extension of time of one month, which was rejected.
SCCL later filed an appeal before the division bench seeking a stay on single judge bench order directing the SCCL to process the verification of the majority Union through a secret ballot.
The senior counsel appearing for the SCCL sought a direction to defer the elections to the 15 Trade Unions in the Singareni Collieries Company Limited for a period of one month i.e. after December 2023.
There are 6 districts, 43,000 voters, and more than 700 officers of the state who will be involved in the elections.
Once the ensuing elections in December conclude, the entire State machinery, the Police force, and the revenue officials will be free from the election work and they can be deployed for the elections in the SCCL. Further, the Senior counsel informed the Court that out of the 15 Trade Unions, 13 Trade Unions have agreed to defer the elections in view of the ensuing general elections.
After hearing the contentions of the Senior counsel appearing for the SCCL asked: “Despite directions of the Court and the extension of time by the Court, why elections are not being conducted”.
The court issued notices to the Union of India, Ministry of Labour, New Delhi, Chief Labour Commissioner Central, New Delhi, Dy. Chief Labour Commissioner, Ministry of Labour and Employment, New Delhi, Singareni Collieries Workers Union, affiliated to AITUC, Kothagudem, Regional Labour Commissioner, Central Ministry of Labour, New Delhi, Telangana Boggu Gani Karimka Sangam, Godavarikhani, District Collector, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Spl. Chief Secretary, Telangana Energy Department, Hyderabad.
