Court attaches TNSTC bus in Coimbatore for non-payment of benefits to conductor

The Additional Labour Court in Coimbatore on Monday (August 17) attached a bus belonging to the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) after it failed to settle monetary and other benefits to a conductor. The court initiated the action based on a petition filed by G.J. John Kennedy of Ondipudur in Coimbatore.

Mr. Kennedy was appointed as a conductor with TNSTC on September 17, 1998 based on his application submitted to the district employment exchange. He was removed from the service based on an oral order on May 16, 1999. Challenging the action, Mr. Kennedy moved the Madras High Court and he was reinstated to service in February 2000. However, his appointment was regularised only on July 1, 2006.

He afterwards approached the Labour Department, complaining that appointments of those who had joined along with him were regularised by the TNSTC in 2000 itself. The Inspector of Labour ordered in 2013 that Mr. Kennedy’s service should be regularised with effect from January 10, 2000, and TNSTC must pay all monetary benefits, promotion, and other concessions due from the date.

Though the TNSTC moved the Madras High Court challenging the order of the Inspector of Labour in 2014, it was dismissed. The Principal Labour Court in an order on September 19, 2025 directed TNSTC-Coimbatore to settle benefits to the tune of ₹16.26 lakh to Mr. Kennedy within a period of three months. However, the sum was not paid.

After Mr. Kennedy filed an execution petition seeking implementation of the order, the Additional Labour Court attached a TNSTC bus on Monday.