To retain them on 50% salaries
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: After initially deciding to legally challenge the Union Labour Ministry’s order over employees’ lay-off, Sesa Sterlite on Wednesday said that they will not retrench the employees but approach the court to lay them off and retain them on fifty percent salaries. The news comes as a major relief to the employees engaged in the company.
Sesa Sterlite had on January 5, 2014 issued lay-off notices to over 1017 employees, working on mines in six locations — Codli, Amona, Sonshi, Surla, Bicholim and Sakhali under Section 5B of the Industrial Disputes Act. The company had approached Union Ministry for Labour seeking necessary permission to lay-off workers under labour law.
The ministry had however dismissed its application seeking permission directing the firm not to lay off workers. Sesa has decided to legally challenge the order.
“At present all employees are getting full salary. On receipt of necessary permissions, notified employees can be laid off in case company is not in a position to provide work to notified employees. Due to such lay off the employees will continue to get 50 per cent of their salary. Lay off is not retrenchment and all laid off employees will continue to be on the rolls of the company,” he said.
A senior Sesa employee confirmed that when company has not retrenched its employees, question of reemploying the employee does not arise. “One must understand that along with its employees, company is also suffering from the prolonged mining closure. It is high time that the legal mines are allowed to restart operations immediately after Supreme Court lifts the ban,” official said.
The ministry had however dismissed its application seeking permission directing the firm not to lay off workers. Sesa has decided to legally challenge the order
