AIOVA charges Ekart of firing 300 people, Flipkart says temp staff brought in for limited time

Online sellers' representative body AIOVA Monday alleged that Flipkart's delivery unit Ekart has fired about 300 seasonal workers, but the Walmart-backed e-tailer said such workers were hired through local third-party vendors for limited duration especially during festive time.

In a tweet, the All India Online Vendors Association said: "Employment practices of Ekart, owned by Flipkart and Walmart $wmt under scrutiny. 300 seasonal workers fired in Kheda. Lot of sellers blacked out. 100 years ago MK Gandhi started first Satyagraha from Kheda".

Flipkart in a statement said it continues to work with many reputed local third-party vendors who support in temporary staffing solutions to cater to festive demands.

"In cases where we have to reduce our contractual employee strength (contracted by the vendor), we do offer pre-agreed-upon severance packages, which has been the case here as well. We are working closely with our third-party vendors to ensure that they fulfil their obligations, statutory or otherwise, with full fairness," the statement added.

Flipkart said it remains committed to be a partner with Gujarat to foster inclusive growth in the state.

"We continue to make deep infrastructure investments including in warehouses and fulfilment centres, and are proud to create thousands of new local jobs, contributing to the local economy," the statement said.