NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, APRIL 14
The Labour Ministry on Tuesday said it has set up 20 control rooms on a pan-India basis to address wage-related grievances and to mitigate problems faced by migrant workers amid the lockdown period to contain the COVID-19 crisis.
The Prime Minister has announced the extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3 with conditional relaxation from April 20 in some areas based on evaluation of the situation.
The workers, especially migrant labourers, are the worst among due to the lockdown as a large number of them either faced pay cut or job loss.
According to an International Labour Organisation assessment, 40 crore informal sector workers in India could be pushed deeper into poverty due to this lockdown.
“The Ministry of Labour and Employment has set up 20 control rooms under the Office of Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) (C) on pan-India basis due to issues arising in the backdrop of COVID-19,” it said in a statement.
These control rooms have been set up to address wage-related grievances of workers employed in the Central Sphere, the ministry said, adding that it would also work to mitigate the problems of migrant workers through coordination with various state governments.
These call centres can be accessed by the workers through phone numbers, Whatsapp and e-mails.
The control rooms are being managed by labour enforcement officers, assistant labour commissioners, regional labour commissioners, and deputy chief labour commissioners of the respective regions.
The functioning of all 20 call centres is being monitored and supervised by Chief Labour Commissioner (C) of Head Quarter daily, the ministry said.
All the concerned officers/officials have been advised to adopt a humane approach to assist the aggrieved workmen to the maximum possible extent and ensure delivery of timely relief to the needy ones, it added.
Earlier, the Labour Ministry had also issued an advisory to employers to desist from any retrenchment or pay cuts during the lockdown period.
Gujarat CM speaks to migrant workers for feedback
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday held telephonic talks with migrant labourers staying at shelter homes and factory premises since the imposition of lockdown for the coronavirus outbreak and inquired about their well being.
Rupani spoke to the labourers, belonging to states like Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring Maharashtra, from a command and control centre set up at his official residence in Gandhinagar.
The chief minister spoke to labourers taking shelter in an automobile parts factory in Rajkot, bakery products firm in Ahmedabad and an oil mill in Vadodara and gathered feedback on the food, health and other facilities available there, a release said.
MSME exporters have no liquidity to pay wages for April: FIEO
Apex exporters body FIEO on Tuesday said the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) do not have adequate liquidity to pay wages to their employees for April as they are unable to conduct any business activity during the lockdown.
The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) reiterated that the government should immediately announce an incentive package and give permission for the partial resumption of operations in manufacturing units.
“The exporters, particularly MSME exporters, have no liquidity to pay wages for April as they are unable to conduct any business activity during the lockdown,” FIEO President Sharad Kumar Saraf said in a statement.
He also expressed disappointment on deferment of the decision to allow the selective opening of the manufacturing sector, particularly export units.
“We were expecting some announcement in this regard in the Prime Minister’s address to the nation this morning. Non-adherence to the delivery schedule for exports will result in cancellation, penalties and market loss, besides the business loss to enterprises, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the current lockdown will be extended till May 3, saying it is very necessary to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Saraf also said that the shifting of the goalpost will not help in avoiding the stark realities which exporters have to face whenever “we open”.
The start of selective manufacturing units will be a long drawn battle due to the unavailability of labour, raw material, transport, Saraf said adding that even countries such as Spain, one of the worst affected nations, have started opening the economy to bring it on track.
The president demanded that a comprehensive economic package may be announced to help the economy, with interest-free credit to cover six months of wages, rent and utilities along with a moratorium to repay in instalments after six months.
“Without such support, the government should not expect the industry to pay wages during the lockdown and any coercive action to bring about the same will only be counterproductive,” he said.
Saraf said that export community, despite facing loss, is providing groceries, mask and medical help to needy people.
