EY employee death: Kerala CM Vijayan highlights need to follow labour laws

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday stressed on the need to ensure that labour laws are strictly adhered to in all sectors of the country.

Employees are subjected to restless work, threats of dismissal and denial of labour rights in some sectors including the IT sector in the country, he told the state Assembly.

The Chief Minister was replying to a Calling Attention motion moved in the House regarding the recent death of Anna Sebastian, a 26-year-old chartered accountant who allegedly died due to work-related stress four months after joining Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune.

It is necessary to ensure that labour laws are strictly followed in all sectors of the country.

Vijayan stated that the lease agreement signed with the companies operating in the IT parks in the state stipulates that all labour laws in the state must be followed.
 

"If these conditions are not complied with, employees can seek action according to the existing legal provisions," he pointed out.

Although more companies have introduced the work-from-home system during the post-Covid period, the existing labour laws do not mention its time frame.

Vijayan also said that the concerns raised in the motion would be brought to the attention of the Union government.

Following her death, Sebastian's mother wrote to EY India chairman Rajiv Memani alleging that the workload and extended working hours took a toll on her daughter.

The firm, however, denied the allegations.

The young woman, who passed the CA exams in 2023, died in July.