Increments elusive during pandemic in organised sector

While the pandemic has meant job loss for lakhs of workers, even those who have managed to retain their jobs in the organised sector have seen their annual increments being negotiated harder or gettin

While the pandemic has meant job loss for lakhs of workers, even those who have managed to retain their jobs in the organised sector have seen their annual increments being negotiated harder or getting protracted/stuck. “Most industries have been asking for special consideration, and the general tendency has been to seek a waiver on annual increments,” All India Trade Union Congress general secretary M.D. Harigovind told The Hindu. “Workers have lost wages and healthcare cost has gone up. The labour share in the employee cost has not gone up significantly,” he added. Mr. Harigovind said several industries in the automotive, engineering, and tool sectors have, in fact, benefited from the lockdown in Europe. “These sectors do not qualify for wage cuts. We are also aware that industries in some other sectors have been affected badly,” he said. Acknowledging the delay in wage negotiations, Bengaluru Employers’ Association president B.C. Prabhakar said negotiations were being completed wherever possible. “Negotiations are happening based on the macro-economic parameters. In some cases, physical meeting is not possible and in some cases, industries are waiting and watching,” he said. “In certain industries, the managements are looking at surviving first.”