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Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008
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A warning for managements: Minister

Special Correspondent

“The incident reflects the simmering discontent among workers”

Oscar Fernandes

NEW DELHI: Describing the killing of L.K. Chaudhury, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of an Italy-based company Graziano Transmissioni in Greater Noida as a fallout of the “simmering discontent among the workers,” the government on Tuesday said, this should serve as a warning for managements.

“It is my appeal to the managements that the workers should be dealt with compassion,” Minister of Labour and Employment (Independent charge) Oscar Fernendes told journalists here.

There are disparities in the wages of permanent employees, contract and temporary workers. The workers should not be pushed so hard that they resort to whatever that had happened in Greater Noida, he said.

Mr. Fernandes, who is likely to visit the site on Wednesday where he will talk to the management and the dismissed workers, said it was a fact that the number of organised workers was decreasing.

“We are going to discuss the matter of hire and fire policy in the next Indian Labour Congress. The practice is being followed in the public sector undertakings (PSUs) also. First we deal with the PSU and later with the private sector,” he said.

According to the Minister, there are several Supreme Court directives that say that wherever possible the employees should be taken on regular rolls instead of contract or temporary basis. But the managements have been ignoring it and anyone demanding this, is relieved within 30 days.

The Minister explained that the workforce was unable to express its simmering discontent over the management policies for the fear of losing jobs, leading to strained ties between them and the management.

The company had dismissed a large number of workers two months ago. The CEO was reportedly beaten to death by a group of dismissed employees inside the premises after a compromise meeting called failed.

Industry criticism

PTI reports:

The Minister’s comments came under sharp attack from the industry. FICCI president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Minister’s comments were shocking while Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani said whatever be the circumstances, murder could not be condoned.

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