NCLT Mumbai Staff Goes On Strike Over Salary Gripes—Profit Exclusive

Contractual and outsourced staff with the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal have stopped work over non-payment of salaries, people with knowledge of the matter told NDTV Profit.

In a letter addressed to the Registrar of the bench, dated Jan. 09, NCLT Mumbai staff alleged they are facing extreme hardship due to not receiving their salaries on time.

A total of 156 employees are participating in the strike, of which 86 are on contract, while the rest are outsourced, one of the people quoted above said.

The letter states that it has become routine for salaries to not get cleared on time. It alleged that the registrar cited not receiving funds from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a reason for the delayed salaries.

"Every time we approach your good office, we get a reply that we have not received the funds from MCA on time for releasing the salaries to date, due to which we all are facing hardships," the letter said.

This has become the norm for contractual and outsourced employees, the letter added.

Due to the strike, cases are not being taken up, and adjournments are being handed out as there is no one to take care of the tribunal's administrative work, sources said.

Situated in the financial capital of the country, the NCLT Mumbai bench takes some of the most high-profile corporate cases. However, the strike has temporarily halted the smooth functioning of the tribunal.

The NCLT Mumbai bench's registrar denied that all employees were on strike when questioned about the strike. Outsourced employees in particular have gone on strike. The tribunal is operating normally, and the proceedings are ongoing, he said.