India, April 23 -- The Bombay high court last week struck down an office memorandum issued by the atomic energy department (AED), which required their employees to seek prior permission to contest elections and become office-bearers of trade unions and restricted their tenure to four years.

The division bench of justices Ravindra Ghuge and Ashwin Bhobe also clarified that employees of any ministry or department of the cenral government, including the AED, do not require prior permission become office-bearers of any association or trade union whose membership is restricted to employees of the department.

"Under the provisions of the Trade Unions Act, 1926, employees working in public or private sector undertakings can come together and f...