Unemployment due to Corona has taken a rapid pace. Fareportal, a New-York based international tech travel firm, have unexplainably axed at least a hundred employees in its Gurugram unit due to the pandemic outbreak. The Pune unit also did away with some of its employees.
In totality an estimated figure of more than 800 people has been terminated with some of the employees having been associated with the company for more than a period of 5 years. Also, the Gurugram unit Vice President, Mr. Vinay Kanchi, refused to take any calls or reply to texts to explain this unprecedented situation.
Is it unlawful to do so?
The All India Central Council of Trade Unions in its letter to the Chief Minister of Haryana have reproached this move explaining the economic hardship that this has brought on the laid off employees at times of such crisis. It further elucidated that such actions, against the government’s direction, will only provoke the already existent mayhem. Similar letter was also written to the Maharashtra Chief Minister as well as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) Labour and Employment.
One of the former employees, Raju Prasad, who worked as a ticketing executive for the past 4 years said that he along with his colleagues were notified via emails regarding the termination. The email simply stated that the employees were terminated as per the “termination” clause of their appointment letter, not justifying or giving a proper reason for doing so.
Raju, in his statement, further explained his household problems and how he is the sole breadwinner of the family and this situation is a heavy blow to him and the other 134 sacked employees who he was in touch with. He also expressed his concern over the uncertainty of getting a new job in the present scenario.
The estimated layoffs can be more than 1000 in just Gurugram and Pune combined, said Mr.Prasad, and despite that there has been no response from the Management to explain the cut backs.
