Toll plaza staff sacking: Notice issued to Centre, NHAI

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court ordered notice to the Union Labour Department and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in a petition against the sacking of 56 employees by a private toll plaza operator in Tamil Nadu.

Justice Abdul Quddhose issued notice on a petition filed by Tamil Nadu Tollgate Employees’ Federation, which prayed for a direction to restore the employment of 56 dismissed staff.

Noting that the toll plaza operator has more than 100 employees, the federation said it must have received permission from the government to terminate 56 of them.

“The respondents are covered under Chapter V (B) Industrial Disputes Act… The action of the company violates section 25 N of the Act. Therefore, the employees are deemed fit to be in service from September 1, 2022,” it said in its affidavit.

The company, Trichy Toll Private Limited, submitted that the provisions of the Act do not apply to it as it is not a commercial firm. It may be noted that after they were removed from service, the employees staged a protest which allegedly disturbed traffic at two toll plazas in Kallakurichi and Perambalur.

Recording the arguments, the judge directed the Labour Department, NHAI, and the private firm to file their response and posted the matter to October 27.