Hyderabad: Aggravating the worst economic situation of TSRTC workers, who lost almost two months’ salary due to the strike, the TSRTC, on Wednesday, claimed before the high court that it has power to deduct the wages of the workers for wilful absenteeism.
While in arguments in the petitions filed by the Telangana Jathiya Mazdoor Union and TSRTC Bahujana Karmika Union seeking a direction to pay wages to the workers for September, in which the worked for the full month, the TSRTC submitted that as the employer, the corporation had the power to deduct eight days wages for each wilful day’s absenteeism.
J. Ramachandra Rao, additional advocate general, representing the corporation, submitted that under section 7(2) (a) of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the employer has the power to deduct the wages of workers and he was ready to put forth a firm argument in its defence. However, he submitted to the court that the corporation has not been taken any decision to deduct the wages.
“The striking workers should rather go before the labour court as the conciliation proceedings have ended in an abrupt manner and they did not join duty when the government asked them to join. To attract sympathy, they are approaching the high court, alleging that salaries were not paid even for the days they worked,” the AAG submitted.
