Employees of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) have threatened to protest if the company fails to release their salaries for March 2023 by April 21, in accordance with the Code on Wages, 2019.
The Coordination Committee of Registered MeECL (Employees) Associations and Unions (CCORMAU) made the decision during an emergency meeting on Thursday.
According to reports, in a letter addressed to the Chairman cum Managing Director of MeECL, Sanjay Goyal, CCORMAU President PK Shullet emphasized the importance of timely salary disbursement, and reminded the management that numerous correspondences had been made in this regard. A memorandum was submitted on January 9, 2023, but despite repeated pleas, the salary for March 2023 is yet to be released.
The Code on Wages, 2019, mandates that employers must pay or cause to be paid wages to employees engaged on a monthly basis before the expiry of the seventh day of the succeeding month. Failure to comply with this regulation could result in democratic sit-in demonstrations, as threatened by the employees of MeECL.
Shullet stated that if the salaries are not released by the deadline, the employees will be forced to hold a democratic sit-in demonstration on the next working day in their respective offices. Moreover, failure to release subsequent months’ salaries in accordance with the Code on Wages, 2019, will result in further democratic sit-in demonstrations.
It remains to be seen whether MeECL will release the salaries on time to avoid a potential protest. However, the threat of a sit-in demonstration highlights the urgency of timely salary disbursement and the importance of upholding employee rights. MeECL and other employers in the region should take note of the Code on Wages, 2019, and ensure timely payment of salaries to their employees to avoid unnecessary tension and unrest.
