Laid-off employees of a US healthcare tech company have been allowed back into its Kochi office till July 10. The temporary relief pauses immediate escalation as Kerala awaits fresh talks with the management.
Employees of a US-based healthcare technology company who were recently laid off will be allowed to enter its Kochi office till July 10, when another round of talks with the management is scheduled, Thrikkakara Congress MLA Uma Thomas said on Monday. The development comes after 850 employees engaged in medical coding work at the company’s Kochi and Kozhikode offices were laid off.
Thomas and Kerala Labour Commissioner Safna Nazarudeen held a meeting with the company’s legal adviser after the layoffs. The state authorities said they have asked the company to keep the layoff process on hold for now, and added that legal proceedings are not being started at this stage as they are waiting for the next meeting with the management.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Thomas said the company’s legal adviser, Amir, represented the management. “We have requested the company to keep the layoff process on hold. The employees can return to the office from Tuesday,” she said.
Nazarudeen said representatives of the company’s management did not attend the meeting and were expected to take part in the next round of discussions on July 10. “The company will function from Monday itself. Employees will be allowed to remain in the office and necessary facilities will be provided. The government will make every effort to help the company resume full-fledged operations. We are not initiating legal proceedings now and are waiting for the July 10 meeting,” she said.
Thomas said the company had already transferred compensation to the bank accounts of employees on Friday. “The company told us the payments could not be stopped because the instructions had already been given to the bank before its representatives reached Kochi. We do not know whether that is true. It is possible that the bank has already processed the request,” she said.
Nazarudeen said the company had assured the Labour Department that its management representatives would attend the July 10 meeting. “They have told us they will come. If they do not turn up, legal action will be initiated after discussions with the Labour Minister,” she said.
Thomas and Nazarudeen also met the employees, who urged them to resolve the issue and ensure that they could continue in their jobs. Meanwhile, DYFI activists reached the company’s Kochi office in the morning after employees complained that they were not being allowed to enter the premises. Police and DYFI leaders later held discussions with company representatives at the office, after which the employees were allowed inside.
