Covid-19: Do Not Terminate Workers Or Cut Their Salaries; Maha Labour Commissioner Directs District Authorities To Issue Advisory [Read Circular]

The Labour Commissioner of the State of Maharashtra wrote a letter to commissioners and other authorities in various districts of the State to issue an advisory to all employers/owners in their jurisdiction, asking them not to terminate workers or employees from their job or reduce their wages, during this period of crisis where the entire country is facing a lockdown to combat the pandemic of coronavirus.

Dr.Mahendra Kalyankar observed that on the pretext of the nationwide lockdown, some of the employers may try to terminate workers or force them to go on leave without salaries. The letter states-

"In the backdrop of such a challenging situation all employers of public/private establishments may be advised to extend their co-ordination by not terminating their employees, particularly casual or contractual workers from their jobs or reduce their wages. If any worker takes leave, he should be deemed to be on duty without any consequential deduction in wages for this period. Further, if the place of employment is to be made non-operational due to Covid-19, the employees of such unit will be deemed to be on duty."

The labour commissioner also noted that termination of workers or reduction in wages would not only weaken their financial condition but also hamper their morale to fight with this pandemic.

On March 29, exercising jurisdiction under S.10(2)(1) of the Disaster Management Act, Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued directions to employers asking them to pay wages to their workers without deduction during the period of lockdown.

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