In a meeting with the management of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and striking workers, the Labour Department called on workers to call off their agitation.
The meeting held on Wednesday was attended by several labour department officials including the Conciliation Officer and Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Bengaluru, Ganapathi Bhat in which the workers and their union representatives were advised to call off the strike and discuss the matter bilaterally.
The strike entered its fifth day on Thursday, with a continued impasse by beween workers and management over wage hike.
According to sources, Bhat advised the union to call off the strike on the basis "since any strike resorted to, during pendency of conciliation amounts to illegal strike."
"HAL Unions continue to mislead and distort facts regarding the outcome of conciliatory proceedings held with labour authorities. The strike continues in spite of the advice of the labour authorities to desist from indefinite strike and return to bilateral talks,” said a HAL spokesperson.
The commissioner's suggestion has prompted concern within the All India HAL Trade Unions Coordination Committee (AIHALTUCC) that the HAL management may file a case against them in court, seeking to declare the strike illegal.