Industrial workers are keeping their fingers crossed as their pay day nears, even as the State’s silence on implementation of compulsory payment of wages for the lockdown period has made trade unions jittery. Though the State has not issued any specific order, it is contemplating invoking provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act or the Disaster Management Act to ensure that wages are paid.
The State government’s U-turn on the Labour Department’s earlier order making the payment of wages compulsory has only added to the anxiety of workers. The Labour Department’s Labour Wage and Retrenchment COVID Helpline (8884488067) to assist those in distress has so far received over 40 complaints, most of them with salary and termination issues.
Looking to Centre
“The State is looking up to the Centre and the decision here will be made accordingly. If we take a decision and the Centre takes a decision otherwise, there will be chaos and confusion. Labour is in the concurrent list,” a senior Labour official told The Hindu . “Let the government of India make the first move.” When asked how State government would monitor payment of wages, the official said, “There are formal mechanisms under the Industrial Disputes Act. We may use that or we may use the provisions of the Disaster Management Act. The government is in discussion with all stakeholders.”
While in most large industries wages are paid by the end of the month, in medium- and small-scale industries payments are made in the first week of the following month. Under the Payment of Wages Act, the employer has time till the 10th day of the month to pay wages.
Differing from the Labour Department’s stand, however, trade unions have urged the State to issue a notification to give effect to the order issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on March 29 that made payment of wages during lockdown compulsory.
‘State’s order crucial’
“The order from the State is important to make payment of wages compulsory. We do not think any further order from the Centre is required as the March 29 notification is very clear,” said M. Sathyanand, secretary, AITUC, Bengaluru. “We have already started receiving complaints about employers offering only 50% of the salary or in some cases only the basic salary. The State’s order will clear the confusion,” he added.
The problem, he pointed out, was that just about 25% of the workforce is unionised. “It is difficult to safeguard the interests of the unorganised workforce, and also a big chunk of labour force in large industries that work on casual or contract basis.”
While FKCCI, representing MSME sector, has announced no wage cuts for those earning less than ₹15,000 a month, Mr. Sathyanand said that the unions supported the sector’s demand for monetary support from the Government, waiver from GST and fixed charges waiver. “However, we are against Government digging into PF/ ESI funds to support the sector.”
