[Exclusive] Govt Issues Notice To Fareportal For Firing 800 Employees During Lockdown; What Next?

Fareportal, one of the leading travel tech firms having headquarters in New York, USA had fired 800 Indian employees last month.

After this, National Information Technology Employees Senate or NITES had filed a complaint with the Labor Commissioner regarding this firing.

NITES is a non-profit organization, devoted to help IT employees in India.

Based on the complaint, Asst. Labor Commissioner has issued a notice to the management of Fareportal, seeking details about this firing, reminding them that action can be taken for this.

Fareportal Fires 800 Employees Without Any Warning

As per reports coming in, Fareportal had fired around 650 employees in the US, and around 200 employees in Pune.

They had apprx. 2800 employees in India, which has now reduced to 2000.

One of the employees said, “On 29th of March my company terminated around 200 employees without any reason. Even on their termination letter there is no reason mentioned. Now they are planning to terminate 100 more people by end of this month”

It seems that there was no warning given to them, and the salaries of all terminated employees have been withheld for 45 days, to process their full and final settlement.

Another employee said, “There was no warning. First they told us that there will be no appraisal because of the Coronavirus situation. Then on 29th March suddenly they fired people from jobs”,

It seems that this is for the first time that Fareportal has fired employees on a mass level, and even their CEO has cut down his pay to just $1.

But does this justify their firing of employees during the lockdown, when they have no other option of employment?

Should they have waited for the lockdown to end?

Govt Issues Notice To Fareportal

After several employees complained to NITES over this firing, they shot a letter to the Labor Commissioner, over this firing.

Labor Commissioner’s office has responded to the letter from NITES, and have sent a notice to Fareportal, seeking clarifications over the terminations, and holding of the salaries.

Maharashtra Govt. had earlier issued a notice that no employer shall fire their employees during the lockdown phase.

We will keep you updated, as more details come in.