Newmai News Network
Imphal | August 17
Members of Centre of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Union (CMSRU) (North East Region) demanded for protection of sales promotion employees in a protest staged in Imphal on August 17.
The members were protesting against amalgamation of existing labour laws in labour codes and demanding notification of statutory working rules for the sales promotion employees under the Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act 1976.
“Protect sales promotion employees” cried the protestors who staged the protest before submitting a memorandum to the state deputy commissioner (Labour) addressing to Union minister of Labour and Employment, Santosh Gangwar.
In the memorandum, the Union working in Manipur expressed serious concern over the amalgamation of existing labour laws in labour codes.
The merger of the existing industrial laws of the country into four codes will further imperil the already dwindling rights of the workers, the members observed in the memorandum.
They alleged that, in the code on wages the term “workers” and “employees” have been used interchangeably causing great confusion in the interpretation and applicability of the law in the hands of the employees. "It will expose the sales promotion employees to severe oppression by the management", they added.
Similarly, the code on occupational health, safety and working conditions proposed to repeal, the Sales Promotion Employees (Condition of Service) Act 1976 along with all other craft acts.
“Such changes in the labour laws tends to liquidate the existing rights of the sales promotion employees and expose them to further exploitation by their employers,” the union pointed out.
"It will also ruin the livelihood of more than five lakh sales promotion employees across the country", they added.
In the absence of statutory working rules for the sales promotion employees, there has been complete anarchy prevailing in the industry with sole intention of harassing and victimising the sales promotion employees in every industry by the management.
Severe oppression from the management on the sales promotion employees across the country on sales grounds, had led to loss of lives of many young employees who succumbed under immense sales pressure, they alleged.
