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As the coronavirus outbreak spreads, many salesmen paychecks are not being released by their employers, leaving them and their families in difficulties amid the pandemic.
“My salary for the month of March was not released by my employer as everything was shut due to coronavirus threat. Now we are in mid-April and still not a single penny was paid to us,” said a salesman, who works at a famous shop in Lal Chowk, Kashmir’s commercial hub.
“We are living hand to mouth. Nonpayment of our wages makes life a difficult affair,” says he, the only bread earner of a family of 6 members.
Another salesman urged authorities to direct the employers to release their wages without further delay.
“I wish I could express the difficulties faced by me without the money. There are hundreds of people who are similarly placed,” he said and requested the authorities to intervene in ensuring employers release their wages. “They can easily transfer the wages in our accounts or they can pay us directly,” he said. A number of other salesmen called and put across the demand.
“We are glad that the government took initiatives to look after the non-local labourers as they face a lot of difficulties and we can fully understand what one goes through when there is no money. At the same time, we would have liked the government to take some initiative to alleviate our sufferings also. (GNS)
