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    Karnataka labour department says workers' rights violated at Wistron factory

    Synopsis

    The team of labour officials that inspected the factory and interacted with the management, manpower supply agencies and employees, has revealed there was a difference in payment paid to contract workers as against the number of days they worked and the management had not solved the issue despite workers bringing it to the notice of HR.

    WistronReuters
    The report seen by ET said the contract agencies have not maintained records of attendance and payment and have recruited more employees than the actual permission given to them.
    Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has found several violations of labour rights at the Wistron’s iPhone manufacturing facility in Narasapura, 70-km from Bengaluru.

    A preliminary report prepared by the director of department of factories, boilers, industrial safety and health that functions under purview of the state labour department has pointed out discrepancies in payment of salaries to contract workers, not paying housekeeping contract staff for extra work, introducing overtime work without permission from the department and engaging women workers on overtime work in violation of the labour laws. “The practises in place with regard to payment of wages and overtime work, are not in line with the provisions of law,” the report said.

    The team of labour officials that inspected the factory and interacted with the management, manpower supply agencies and employees, has revealed there was a difference in payment paid to contract workers as against the number of days they worked and the management had not solved the issue despite workers bringing it to the notice of HR.

    “The difference was not paid along with the salary for the month of November 2020. Salaries (overtime) of the housekeeping staff are not paid till date and are required to work for 12 hours a day for six days a week,” according to the report ET has seen.

    It also said that necessary exemptions under Factories Act were not taken to carry out overtime work and the change working hours was done on a continuous basis. “There are no provisions under the law to engage women workers on overtime. However, women workers have been allowed to carry out overtime work in the factory,” the team observed.

    The labour department has also said the company employed 13,500 workers without taking necessary permissions. “Additional construction of huge buildings and other facilities have been started and work is in progress without obtaining the previous permission of the department for extension of the factory building.”

    According to the inspection team, the HR department at Wistron did not have sound knowledge of labour laws. “The confusion in the minds of workers about their wage inclusive of overtime on account of the change in work pattern from 8 hour shift to 12 hour has not been addressed properly by the HR personnel in line with the legal provisions of law. Overtime hours and wage thereof has not been clearly explained to workers,” the department director said in the report.

    Separately, a report prepared by Kolar labour officials, has raised a slew of violations by the seven manpower hiring agencies. The report seen by ET said the contract agencies have not maintained records of attendance and payment and have recruited more employees than the actual permission given to them.

    Wistron had hired 10,500 employees through seven contractors: Creative Engineers, Quess Corp, Innovsource, Adecco Group, Needs Manpower Support Services, Randstad and United (housekeeping staff).



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