Payment of wages through cheques may prove fatal for trade & industry of Punjab: OPA
Author(s): City Air NewsA meeting of the Executive Committee of OPA being held at Ludhiana to condemn the proposal of the Government of Punjab indicating all the factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948 and shops and commercial...
cityairnews
Aug 3, 2015 12:30
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A meeting of the Executive Committee of OPA being held at Ludhiana to condemn the proposal of the Government of Punjab indicating all the factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948 and shops and commercial establishments registered under the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1958 to pay the wages to the employees either by cheque or directly transferring them online in the bank accounts.
Ludhiana, August 3, 2015: The members of the Offset Printers’ Association (OPA) condemned the proposal of the Government of Punjab indicating all the factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948 and shops and commercial establishments registered under the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1958 to pay the wages to the employees either by cheque or directly transferring them online in the bank accounts.
A special emergency meeting of the OPA was held yesterday to discuss impact of these rules on the trade and industry. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Kamal Chopra, General Secretary OPA informed that the government has issued notification (No.S.O.31/C.A.4/1936/ S.6/2015, dated 3rd July, 2015), specifying that the Payment of Wages shall be made by the employers to the persons employed either by cheque or by crediting the wages in their bank account. Mr. Chopra added that it is not practical, because on the first most of the workers, especially in printing and packaging sector are always hand to mouth and we have to pay them every week or fifteen days, in the case of cheques they will have to visit to the bank regularly to draw the cash wasting productive time.
Mr. Kushl Kumar Jain, Vice President said, due to stiff competition from the neighbouring SEZ states it is already very hard to procure skilled/semi-skilled staff with the introduction of such rules more staff may flee from Punjab. The system of payment of wages through cheque will be disadvantageous especially for the unskilled and semiskilled workers as they have to visit the banks regularly during duty hours which at the one end will hamper the production and on the other will affect the salary of the employee also.
Mr. Parveen Aggarwal, President OPA said, this notification is ‘off the cuff’ from the state government which is practically not possible. How such systems can be applicable on the daily wage labour? In the trade and industry wages are not paid after one month, because of low paid employees we have to pay them regularly to make their both ends meet. There is already acute shortage of workers and industry is on the verge of collapse, this notification can prove to be another disaster. The house unanimously resolved that the government of Punjab must withdraw the concerned notification for the survival of trade and industry within the state of Punjab.
Date:
Monday, August 3, 2015
