MUMBAI, SEPT 16: The agitation by over 600 members of Labour Law Practitioners’ Association (LLPA) entered its third day today. They have been boycotting work protesting the state government’s failure to shift the labour and industrial courts from the dilapidated building at Tardeo.
At its special general body meeting the association decided to continue with the agitation as there has been no response from the government. Mukund Jambaulikar, General Secretary of the LLPA, said the association is scheduled to meet on September 22, 1998 to chalk out its future course of action if the government fails to do anything.
On Tuesday, over 250 labour lawyers from Thane extended their support to the agitation by the LLPA members and abstained from work. In June this year the LLPA had launched an agitation after a part of a ceiling in one of the courtrooms had collapsed. The stir was withdrawn following an assurance by the government to shift the court premises to New Administrative building at Bandra.
The LLPA isalso protesting the allocation of space in the new premises at Bandra. While the existing area at Arun Chambers is 26,000 sq ft, the area allotted at Bandra is 18,000 sq ft and not 24,000 sq ft as reported earlier and no provision has been made for a library and a ladies room in the new premises.
In all there are 12 labour courts, 8 industrial courts, one workmen compensation courts. The courts are situated on the third, fifth, sixth and seventh floor of Arun Chambers. While the courtrooms on the third floor have been shut, two courtrooms located on the sixth floor have been closed. Around 5000 litigants have been affected with 1,500 cases being heard on a daily basis.