Labour Min asks states, concerned ministries to ensure no job or pay cut by employers amid lock down

The Labour Ministry has asked states and central ministries concerned to ensure that employers do not fire their employees, particularly casual or contractual workers, or reduce their wages amid COVID-19 outbreak as it would deepen the crisis.

The ministry has also asked the state and ministries that all employees going on leave during the lockdown period, they should be deemed on duty without any consequential pay cut.

"In the backdrop of such challenging situation, all the employers of public or private establishments may be advised to extend their coordination by not terminating their employees, particularly casual or contractual workers from the job or reduce their wages," Labour Secretary H K Smariya said in a letter to all chief secretaries and concerned ministries.

"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 employee of such units will be deemed to be on duty."