Mumbai:
After Mumbai motormen ended their strike, allowing local trains to return to their normal schedule, the Mumbai High Court has asked for a confirmation of whether this is a lasting arrangement.
The government had taken the motormen to court after they refused to work on Tuesday, paralysing the city's local train network. Eight hundred five of the trains on the Central and Western lines did not run through the day. Sixty six lakh commuters use these trains everyday.
The court slammed the government for forcing motormen to put in overtime, accusing it of being exploitative and of risking commuter safety.
By 11 am on Wednesday, the court wants to know if the strike has really ended.
The state government had been arguing that non-union members were forcing the majority of motormen to go on strike. The court has asked for clarity on the stands of relevant unions.