Labour Ministry to Consider Feedback on Using Social Media for Wage Payment Intimation

The labour ministry will consider feedback on a new provision of sending intimation about all payments to employees through electronic mode, including social media, under draft standing orders on manufacturing, mining and services sectors, a senior official said. There has been demand that intimation about payment of wages (salary slips) should not be sent through social media platforms due to privacy concerns.

The ministry had circulated two draft standing orders on the services sector and manufacturing and mining sectors on December 31, 2020. It has given 30 days' time to stakeholders to give feedback before the orders are implemented. Talking to PTI, Chief Labour Commissioner and Director General Labour Bureau D S Negi said, "These are draft standing orders and we have sought feedback on all rules of these new orders. The ministry will also consider feedback on the rule regarding payment of wages also and no final decision has been taken as yet." Besides, there could be other rules in the standing orders where stakeholders can raise their objections which would be duly considered and deliberated upon before implementation, he added.

The clause in the draft orders says, "All payment including wages to the workers shall be paid by crediting in the bank account of worker on electronic mode or digital form. Intimation… to a worker shall be sent to him through Short Messaging Service (SMS) or e-mail or social media communication, such as, WhatsApp or by issuing a slip." Some people have expressed apprehension that this clause would enable the employers to put personal and financial details of an employee on social media platforms which can be accessed by the public at large. Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) Research Wing Head and its former general secretary Virjesh Upadhyay said the labour ministry can clarify on this clause that the intimation would be send to the personal social media (WhatsApp) account of an employee and not to a WhatsApp group.

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