Amazon Layoffs: Government to Set Up Inquiry to Check If 'Mass Resignations' Violated Labour Laws or Terms of Service, Says Report

Bengaluru, November 28: Days after Amazon India laid of many of its employees, reports indicated that the labour ministry will now set up an inquiry to find out whether the recent spate of resignations at Amazon India constituted layoffs that violate labour laws or terms of service. It is important to note that Labour Ministry had sent a notice to the E-Commerce giant last week after receiving a complaint of mass layoffs by the Nascent Information Technology Employees’ Senate (NITES).

Hindustan Times reported that the idea behind setting up of this inquiry is to ascertain if the mass layoffs at Amazon India violated labour laws or terms of service. The labour ministry will also reach out to the employees who opted for the voluntary exit scheme to verify the claims made by the company. Amazon Closes Its Wholesale Distribution Business in India Days After Shutting Down Food Delivery Services

The report further says that company in its internal communication to employees had stated that those who do not opt for the voluntary separation programme will be retrenched without any benefits under a “workforce optimisation programme”, according to Harpreet Singh Saluja, president of NITES. Amazon Denies Layoffs in India, Says No One Was Sacked, Resignations Were Voluntary

Last week Amazon representatives appeared before the deputy chief labour commissioner of the Union labour ministry in Bengaluru on Wednesday and submitted their version denying the allegations. Amazon had reportedly told the government that it did not fire any employee and some of the employees who left the organisation opted for voluntary resignation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 28, 2022 03:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).