Court staff at the Sangola taluka court in Maharashtra wore black ribbons while working on October 16 and 17 to protest the state government’s delay in deciding on a revised salary scale approved by a committee of the Bombay High Court.
The two-day Sangola court staff protest was part of an agitation announced by four judicial employees’ federations. The employees are seeking implementation of the revised pay scale, for which the High Court committee approved a proposal in January 2025. The state government has not yet taken a decision on the proposal, according to the report by Sakal.
The protest was also held at a time when judicial employees’ organisations were preparing a wider escalation. If the demand is not accepted, court employees across Maharashtra are scheduled to take collective leave on November 5. The organisations have also warned of an indefinite strike from November 17.
Abhishek Phule, the Sangola taluka representative of the district court employees’ association, gave the warning about the proposed collective leave and indefinite strike. The employees had previously worn black ribbons while working on September 17 as part of the campaign for the revised salary scale.
Employees including A. S. Bamnali, S. R. Chopade, S. S. Kolekar, M. M. Vitthaldas, S. V. Patil, D. V. Sawant and D. B. Patil participated in the latest protest at the taluka court, the report said. The action places the pay-scale issue within the wider administrative functioning of the state judiciary, where court employees support day-to-day case-management and office operations.
The dispute has now moved beyond a local workplace protest because the proposed next steps involve judicial employees across Maharashtra. A collective leave on November 5 could affect routine court administration, while an indefinite strike from November 17 would represent a further escalation if the government does not act on the approved proposal.
The agitation has received support from judicial organisations and bar associations in Maharashtra, according to Sakal. The report did not specify the financial details of the revised salary scale, the government’s stated reasons for delaying its decision, or whether a formal meeting has been scheduled to resolve the issue. The next stated milestones are the proposed collective leave on November 5 and the indefinite strike from November 17.
