Industrialists have expressed helplessness in paying wages to their workers during the lockdown period.
At a meeting with Suresh Angadi, Union Minister of State for Railways, several industrialists said they were facing a very hard time and could not afford to pay wages to their workers for this month. “Almost all of us paid wages to labourers last month, but we will not be able to this month. The Union and State governments should pay their wages instead,” said an entrepreneur. “The labour laws in the country don’t allow us to dismiss labourers for reasons such as lockdown or lack of demand or finances. We have to keep them on our rolls and pay them wages. It adds to our burden. The government should come to our rescue,” he said.
Another industrialist demanded that the State government instruct the Hubli Electricity Supply Company waive power bills as factories are not working at all and the output and transactions were nearly zero. “Factories have been forced to foot the power bill even during the lockdown. The government should waive these bills till the lockdown is lifted,” he said.
Some others said it was difficult for most of them to get supply of raw materials or transport finished goods owing to the lockdown.
One person said that Equated Monthly Instalment moratorium announced by banks was not a moratorium in fact. For one, it is optional and discretionary. Secondly, the banks plan to collect the pending dues after three months, by charging additional interest. This is unfortunate and the Centre should tackle this issue in the interest of industries, the entrepreneur said.
The Minister responded by saying that he would convey these concerns to the government. He also said he would help settle all local issues by discussing with the Deputy Commissioner.
Joint Director of Industries Dodda Basavaraj asked factories to provide protective equipment, masks, gloves and headgear to all workers.
