Paid leave for employees of private firms on election day

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State Labour Commissioner Safna Nasruddin has ordered that employees and workers of all private institutions, private industrial centers and private institutions coming under the purview of the Shops and Commercial Establishment Act in the state be granted paid leave on the polling day April 9. The order also states that the wages of employees or workers should not be reduced or cut on the basis of leave.

Normally, if those required to work on a holiday are not granted leave, they must be paid wages for that day. However, if granting leave would cause continuous, urgent, or significant loss to the work being done, the order states that such workers must be given special permission to cast their vote.

Workers who are voters in a different constituency from where they are employed, including those working in private industrial establishments or other institutions on daily wage, casual, or contract basis, are also entitled to paid leave on the day of the election. The Labour Commissioner stated that this order applies to all private establishments, including the IT, industrial, plantation, and construction sectors. Daily wage/casual/contract workers working in private industrial institutions or other institutions who are voters in a constituency other than the one in which they work are also entitled to paid leave on election day. The Labor Commissioner also announced that this order will be applicable to all private institutions, including IT, industrial, plantation, and construction sectors.