All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has urged Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar to take steps to desist industries from terminating staff amid the lockdown, making a particular reference to a global technology firm which has fired 700 employees.
In a letter shot off to Gangwar, AITUC said,"...making a particular reference to Fareportal India Pvt Ltd, calls upon your urgent intervention to send out a stronger directive to the industries and commercial establishments to stop forthwith all the acts of gross illegality of terminating employees and mandate withdrawal of all termination orders."
This is a travesty of natural justice in the backdrop of the lockdown declared to contain the spread of coronavirus, it said.
All these acts are in absolute transgression of the advisory issued by the Ministry of Labour and Employment at this crucial juncture of national emergency.
Several state governments have also sent out advisories on similar lines.
But it is a serious cause for concern that many industries have not only defied the advisory but have also grossly violated the law with absolute impunity, it noted.
"AITUC has received reports that Fareportal India Pvt Ltd', a global technology company, has terminated 500 employees from its office in Gurugram and 200 from its Pune office. It is a cruel and unfair act carried out in a total breach of the existing laws and in complete conflict with the advisory specific to the time," stated the letter.
AITUC condemns the "illegal" terminations and urges the government to intervene immediately to make sure that the termination orders are withdrawn.
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"We also insist that not one worker, irrespective of his nature of employment such as casual, contract, temporary, trainee or apprentice should suffer loss of wages even for one day," it added.
Besides, the management of Fareportal should be subjected to the trial of violation of laws, it demanded.
Coronavirus has indeed created an unprecedented upheaval and uncertainty to the industry, trade and commerce. Confronting the challenge to rebuild the nation, society and economy requires the might of all.
India cannot afford another army of jobless people. It means creation of a demoralized society, it said.
AITUC urges the government to "send out a firm directive mandating all the industries and commercial establishments to desist from any such unfair acts of illegality and injustice against the workforce," the letter said.
AITUC has also written to Haryana Chief Minister to rehire the 500 employees of Fareportal, in Gurugram.
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