Pune Labour Commissioner Summons Amazon Over Layoffs: Report

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy last week said that some employees had been offered the VSP and added that overall 18,000 employees would be eliminated across the company

Amazon offered a voluntary separation offer to some Indian employees in November 2022.

Pune’s labour commissioner’s office has summoned e-commerce giant Amazon over the sacking of Indian employees, reported MoneyControl. The summon was issued after a non-profit organization filed a complaint against Amazon saying that the Amazon workers were "unethically forced to opt for Voluntary Separation Policy and were laid-off illegally.”

The notice to Amazon by the Assistant Labour Commissioner in Pune said, “....it is hereby informed that a joint meeting has to be held in front of the undersigned in his hall on 17/01/2023 at 03:00 PM regarding the lay-off of workers in your establishment/factory.”

Amazon offered a voluntary separation offer to some Indian employees in November 2022. The company said, "As a first step, we are giving employees an opportunity to volunteer for the severance programme."

The company in recent days has continued with its cost-cutting and issued pink slips to thousands of workers. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy last week said that some employees had been offered the VSP and added that overall 18,000 employees would be eliminated across the company. 

It was reported last week that Amazon is planning to lay off approximately 1,000 employees in India as part of its largest global retrenchment exercise.

An NGO working for the welfare of IT sector employees, Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) had filed a complaint against Amazon over its Voluntary Separation Policy calling it illegal. 

According to the report, the notice also said that representatives of the management and trade union should be present with the necessary documents and records as well as the power of attorney. 

NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja in a statement said, "The voluntary separation policy implemented was never submitted to the labour ministry for review which is a violation of the existing labour laws."