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<ul><li>India is the second largest market of freelance professionals in the world, after the United States. That accounts for nearly 15 million professionals in the country. </li><li>Despite the growth, women refrain from pursuing gig work. </li><li>That is majorly because of the gender disparity in terms of pay, flexibility and employment status. </li><li>There are at least two surveys that explain the lag in the labour reforms for women. </li></ul>India is the second largest market of freelance professionals in the world, after the United States. That accounts for nearly 15 million professionals in the country. In fact, as India Inc moves to evaluating an ‘alternative workforce model’ with <keyword id="7771650" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-workers">gig workers</keyword> and freelancers, the demand is only going to rise. But despite the growth, women refrain from pursuing gig work. That is majorly because of the gender disparity in terms of pay, flexibility and employment status — that prevails in the <keyword id="3080230" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-economy">gig economy</keyword> as well. This also reflects in the <keyword id="4476046" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="female-labour">Female Labour</keyword> Force Participation Rate (FLPR) in India, which has been falling for two decades now. There are at least two surveys that explain the lag in the labour reforms for women. In 2018, a survey said that a third of women were disinterested in joining the gig economy due to the lack of job security and uncertainty on employment status. Pay parity still a concern In addition to this, they are being paid less, widening the gender parity. A research by <a href="https://www.orfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ORF_IssueBrief_359_GenderGig.pdf">Observer Research Foundation (ORF)</a> reiterates the data from TeamLease in India that said the gig economy added 40,000 women in 2019. But, they are making 10% less than men, especially the delivery executives. The same year, the <keyword id="119211" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-labour">Ministry of Labour</keyword> and Employment proposed the Code on Social Security Bill, to offer social security benefits to gig workers. On those lines, Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on May 14, said that social security schemes will now be extended to even gig and platform workers, the proposal is awaiting approval of the Parliament and the Standing Committees. It is important because food-tech and e-commerce players such as Uber, Ola, Zomato and Swiggy, account for nearly 90% of the total gig workers in India. On an average, women make an average of ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 per month in the emerging gig economy. “This could be attributed to their income being of the ‘distressed’ category. Consequently, as soon as conditions improve, women leave the workforce — this phenomenon is widely visible in India’s informal economy as well,” said the ORF report. Limited access to digital technologies That aside, the lag in the access to digital technologies is yet another hurdle to women’s participation in gig work. Despite the country’s push for digitisation, merely 16% women in India use mobile internet, as per the findings of the GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2019. To overcome that, many companies offer their own devices to facilitate work. “The gig economy is here to stay and offers many ways for women to start and improve their careers. However, the problem in India is twofold: an inability to facilitate women’s movement into the workforce, and the perpetuation of structural and operational barriers promoting gendered division of gig work,” said the report. Future scope As per Deloitte data, nearly 80% of the organisations have less than 10% of their employees as gig workers, accounting majorly to <keyword id="2245174" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Contractual-staff">contractual staff</keyword>. India’s gig economy is projected at a market size of $455 billion over the next three years — which might increase even further with the new-found interest. “A large majority of this is expected to be contributed by the unorganised sector of the economy, as India Inc's adoption of gig workers remains nascent at best,” the Deloitte report said. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/more-employees-at-capgemini-infosys-and-wipro-are-being-brought-back-to-offices-while-tcs-is-still-in-wait-and-watch-mode/articleshow/75691940.cms">More employees at Capgemini, Infosys, and Wipro are being brought back to offices while TCS is still in wait and watch mode</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/from-minimum-wages-for-all-to-social-security-for-gig-workers-these-are-the-broad-outlines-of-upcoming-labour-reforms-in-india/articleshow/75733790.cms">From minimum wages for all to social security for gig workers ⁠— these are the broad outlines of upcoming ‘labour reforms’ in India</a>

Indian women don’t like being gig workers ⁠— the potentially $455 billion industry has to woo them with fair pay to start with

New Delhi, Nov 27 () Workers of Honda Motorcycle &amp; Scooter India's (HMSI) Manesar plant on Wednesday took out a march to protest against the sacking of 2,500 contractual workers at the facility.
 The workers marched from the plant to Gurugram Mini Secretariat.
 A worker union leader claimed that around 5,000 workers participated in the protest.
 The Japanese two-wheeler major had resumed operations at the plant earlier this week with permanent employees joining work. 
 HMSI had suspended operations at the plant from first week of November as workers protested for over a week against the retrenchment of their contractual colleagues.
 The stand off at the facility, which employs around 1,900 permanent workers and 2,500 contract workers, began on morning of November 5 when the company management did not allow some of the contractual workers to go inside the plant.
 The sacked contractual workers, though, continue to protest at the site.
 "Around 5,000 workers participated in the protest march today. Workers from other factories also joined us in the protest," a senior HMSI worker and union leader told .
 The workers handed over a memorandum to the government officials at the Secretariat and sought their help in reinstating sacked contractual workers, he added.
 The worker union also demanded revocation of suspension of six of their members.
 The workers under the Trade Union Council also demanded that the government should look into problems of other manufacturing units in Manesar/Gurugram region.
 On November 22, HMSI workers had taken out a protest march from Manesar plant to Gurugram Deputy Commissioner's office.
 When contacted, HMSI said over 1,350 permanent staff associates have joined back duty as on November 27 and the last batch is expected to join on November 28.
 "We are steadily moving towards regular operations with discipline, good faith and positivity," the company said in a statement.
 The decision to resume production at Manesar plant was initiated on November 22 and all permanent staff associates were informed to join duty from November 25 to November 28 in four batches.
 The HMSI Employee Union leaders had alleged that the company had reduced production by 50 per cent at the Manesar facility and is in the process of retrenching contractual workers.
 The plant has three assembly lines -- two for motorcycles and one for scooters. MSS
RVK

HMSI's Manesar plant workers protest against sacking of contractual staff

<ul><li>Reliance Jio is reportedly reducing its contractual and permanent staff. </li><li>The telecom major has asked nearly 5,000 employees to leave the company — including over 500 from the permanent staff. </li><li>The lay off is due to the falling operational margins of the company, according to an ET report. </li><li>In the telecom industry, the employee cost ranges from 5%-6% of the total operational cost.</li></ul>While the Mukesh Ambani-led Telecom giant Reliance Jio has been growing its customer base aggressively, the company has reportedly trimmed<a href="https://in.reuters.com/article/media-indias-reliance-jio-lets-go-of-con/media-indias-reliance-jio-lets-go-of-contractual-staff-economic-times-idINL4N2350QF"> its contractual staff</a> significantly. Owing to the falling operational margins, the homegrown giant has also r<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/reliance-jio-lets-go-of-contractual-staff/articleshow/69551393.cms">educed the headcount</a> for permanent employees. The telecom major has reportedly rolled out leave orders for nearly 5,000 employees — including over 500 permanent ones. Commenting on the move, the company reportedly said that Jio continues to be a net recruiter and there was no question of any "cost pressure-led action." Jio’s operational margin projected a decline in the January to March quarter while the expenses increased further by 8%, thereby affecting the workforce largely. Jio has an employee base of over 15,000 under its payroll. However, a large part of the workforce includes third-party workers, which are on the payroll of staffing firms. "We are expanding our consumer businesses and Jio continues to be a net recruiter in the industry. We also work with contractors who may be hiring staff on fixed time contracts for our various project construction activities. Given that we continue to recruit actively, the question of a cost pressure-led action is not relevant,” ET reported citing company officials. For the telecom industry, the employee cost usually <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/companies/article/reliance-jio-lays-off-nearly-4500-contractual-staff-in-cost-cutting-drive-report/427413">ranges from 5%-6%</a>, which has been the first target for the company bringing a cost-cutting functionality in place. While the move has impacted the consumer acquisition vertical the most, the redundancy has affected the company staff across verticals — HR, finance, networking and administration. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/wipro-is-hiring-for-technical-sales-profile-for-australia-the-us-and-the-middle-east/articleshow/69247073.cms">Indian IT major Wipro is hiring ‘new blood’ to expand its sales workforce across geographies</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cognizant-begins-voluntary-separation-program-for-senior-staff-report/articleshow/69515809.cms">Cognizant begins ‘voluntary separation’ program for senior staff: Report</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cognizant-hints-at-more-job-cuts-while-outgoing-execs-may-take-25-million/articleshow/69197259.cms">Cognizant hints at more job cuts while outgoing execs may take $25 million</a>

India’s telecom giant Reliance Jio cuts contractual staff

New Delhi, Nov 26 () Honda Motorcycle &amp; Scooter India (HMSI) on Tuesday said it has commenced operations at its Manesar plant with permanent employees joining the work though the sacked contractual employees continued with their protest at the site.
 The Japanese two-wheeler major had suspended operations at the plant from first week of November as workers protested for over a week against the retrenchment of their 200 contractual colleagues.
 The stand-off at the facility, which employs around 1,900 permanent workers and 2,500 contract workers, began on November 5 morning when the company management did not allow some of the contractual workers to go inside the plant.
 "The decision to resume production at Manesar plant was initiated on November 22. All permanent staff associates were informed to join duties from 25-28 November in four batches," HMSI said in a statement.
 Process of joining back to work has started as per the schedule and the company looks forward to normalcy of operation after this process is completed, it added.
 "With the intention of maintaining industrial peace, Manesar plant management reaffirmed that all permanent workers are expected to resume work as per schedule and carry out their assigned duties with discipline, good faith, cooperation and positivity," the two wheeler major said.
 On the other hand, the worker union at the plant alleged foul play on the part of the company management in re-starting work at the facility.
 When contacted, a Union leader told that the company management is allowing permanent workers to enter the manufacturing plant only after getting an undertaking signed, which he termed as illegal.
 "The company has sacked the entire 2,500 contractual staff at the facility and these workers are still protesting at the gates of the plant. We plan to take out a protest rally from IMT Chowk to Gurgaon mini secretariat to press for their reinstatement," the leader said.
 He alleged that the company is just not interested in reaching a settlement with the workers.
 "They have suspended six of our union members, including the president, general secretary and other members. The company management is bent on destroying the facility," he added.
 On November 22, a section of workers at the Manesar plant took out a protest march against the company's decision to sack contractual workers and suspension of work at the facility.
 The march started from the plant to Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner's office. MSS SHW
SHW

HMSI resumes work at Manesar plant with permanent staff; contractual workers continues with protest

New Delhi, Mar 23 () The Finance Ministry on Monday said that contractual employees will be paid even if they are unable to report on duty due to lockdown imposed by authorities. "Due to social distancing and isolation measures to contain spread of COVID19, there is a likelihood of number of contractual labour and outsourced staff working for Govt of India being unable to attend work, resulting in deduction in wages, thus causing hardship to them," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a tweet. "The @FinMinIndia has issued orders to declare this period as "on duty" and wages paid accordingly," she said. According to office memorandum, various states and union territories governments have announced lockdown at different places as part of social distancing and isolation measures to contain the spread of COVID 19 in the country. Instructions have been separately issued by Department of Personnel and Training regarding maintenance of essential services in ministries and departments, it said. "Due to these measures, there is a likelihood of a number of contractual, casual and outsourced staff such as house-keeping staff etc being required to stay home which under normal circumstances would result in deduction in their pay and wages," it said. To avoid any undue hardships under the prevailing extraordinary circumstances, it has been decided that such employees, if required to stay home in view of lockdown order regarding COVID 19 prevention, will be considered on duty, it added. DP DP MRMR

Contractual employees to be paid during period of absence due to lockdown: Finmin

<ul><li>The auto industry has laid off nearly 350,000 working employees in the last four months, according to a Reuters report. </li><li>Car and motorcycle makers have axed 15,000 jobs while roughly 100,000 jobs have been lost in the auto parts manufacturing units. </li><li><keyword id="44883" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maruti-Suzuki">Maruti Suzuki</keyword> India has shed over 1,000 temporary employees, and is planning to freeze hiring as a cost cutting measure.</li><li>The sector employs nearly 32 million workers across the country.</li></ul>The auto sector slowdown has cost the sector hundreds of thousands of jobs. The industry has laid off nearly 350,000 employees in the last four months, according to a <a href="https://in.reuters.com/article/india-autos-jobs/exclusive-tens-of-thousands-losing-jobs-as-indias-auto-crisis-deepens-sources-idINKCN1UW1XK">Reuters report</a>. Car and motorcycle makers have axed 15,000 jobs, while 100,000 jobs were lost at auto parts manufacturing units. Added to this, as many as million contract jobs are on the line as well. Overall, the sector employs <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget-2019-proposal-lower-tax-likely-on-cars/articleshow/69723060.cms">nearly 32 million workers</a> across the country, both directly or indirectly. The slowdown impact For the last nine months, auto sales have been falling and heavy discounting have not pulled customers in. So much so that auto dealerships have been shuttering down, which has resulted in top car manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki, Nissan, Bajaj Auto and Tata Motors cutting production. The largest auto company Maruti Suzuki alone shed over 1,000 temporary employees, and is planning to freeze hiring. It witnessed a decline of 33.5% in its total sales, including exports for July. In fact, the company has decided to <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/hit-by-sales-dip-maruti-suzuki-planning-to-run-just-one-shift-at-each-of-its-plants-4288951.html">work in a single shift</a> at all its manufacturing plants as a cost cutting measure. The sector employs a high percentage of contractual workers to match the dynamic nature of demand in the sector. Employers hire contractual staff at the time of growth while <a href="https://www.livemint.com/auto-news/slowdown-in-auto-sales-10-15-people-lost-jobs-in-auto-component-industry-1563960909599.html">nearly 20% jobs</a> are lost during production cuts, explained Vinnie Mehta, director general, ACMA. "Temporary employees are the first to get impacted and the same has happened in this case too," IANS reported citing industry sources. Japanese multinational Nissan is also considering laying off 1,710 of these jobs in India. Tata Motors and Mahindra have had factory shutdowns. This comes in the back of the ongoing job crisis in India. The country’s unemployment rate stood at 7.91% as on June 2019, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). And particularly in the auto sector, the hiring has dropped by 2.5% in 2018 fiscal. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/nissan-may-lay-off-over-1700-employees-in-india/articleshow/70389996.cms">Nissan may lay off over 1,700 employees in India as car sales slow down</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/auto-sector-slowdown-puts-one-million-contractual-jobs-at-risk/articleshow/70373751.cms">Auto sector slowdown puts one million contractual jobs at risk</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget-2019-proposal-lower-tax-likely-on-cars/articleshow/69723060.cms">With 32 million jobs at stake in India’s auto sector, the Modi government may ease tax burden on cars</a>

Indian auto manufacturers axed 350,000 jobs in four months — and there are more to go

<ul><li>The drop in automobile sales will cost India nearly a million jobs. </li><li>The auto sector employs roughly 5 million workers in India, including 3.5 million contractual roles. </li><li>The auto sector saw a 17% drop in passenger vehicles sale in April. </li><li>Employers hire contractual staff at the time of growth while nearly 20% jobs are lost during production cuts.</li></ul><keyword id="46211" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Auto-sales">Auto sales</keyword> have been going down for over a year now, and it has resulted in production cuts. So much so, many dealerships have shut down too. The trickle down effect for the sector has started— as a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/auto-component-industry-fears-loss-of-10-lakh-jobs-due-to-prolonged-slowdown/articleshow/70362395.cms">million contractual workers are at risk of losing their jobs</a>. This accounts for nearly 10%-15% layoffs per company. What’s worse is that the industry pegs this number much higher, owing to its tepid sales. The passenger vehicle sales in India saw a dip in April at 17% — the lowest in the last eight years, shows the data by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). This unprecedented decline has impacted both contractual and permanent employees. The <keyword id="6369865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-loss">job loss</keyword> is largely due to the slowdown in sales in Gurugram-Manesar belt of Haryana, Pune, Jamshedpur and some parts of Madhya Pradesh, according to Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA). The auto sector employs roughly 5 million workers in India — including 3.5 million employed contractually. The sector employs a high percentage of contractual workers due to vagaries in production and demand in the sector. Employers hire contractual staff at the time of growth while <a href="https://www.livemint.com/auto-news/slowdown-in-auto-sales-10-15-people-lost-jobs-in-auto-component-industry-1563960909599.html">nearly 20% jobs</a> are lost during production cuts, explained Vinnie Mehta, director general, ACMA. “The industry needs urgent government intervention. There is an immediate need to stimulate vehicle demand and also sustain it post BS-VI implementation, as vehicles will become significantly expensive thereafter,” Ram Venkataramani, President, ACMA <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/auto-component-industry-fears-loss-of-10-lakh-jobs-due-to-prolonged-slowdown/article28697949.ece">told</a> BusinessLine. “Whenever there is production cut of 20% by OEMs then there is job losses across the value chain of component manufacturers," he added. The exports in the sector also dropped to 17% during the last fiscal, which accounts to roughly ₹1 trillion. The industry exports nearly 26% of its components and products. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mahindra-mahindra-joins-maruti-suzuki-to-announce-a-car-price-hike/articleshow/69868857.cms">Car sales are woefully slow in India but prices are rising due to new green norms</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/maruti-mahindra-had-the-toughest-quarter-in-a-decade-as-car-sales-are-slow/articleshow/70287195.cms">A global investment firm has 'SELL' rating on 70% of Indian car makers because sales may not pick up speed</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cellestial-e-mobility-has-raised-funds-to-launch-electric-tractors/articleshow/70344435.cms">A Hyderabad-based startup has raised funds to launch its electric tractors</a>

Auto sector slowdown puts one million contractual jobs at risk

<ul><li>German multinational <keyword id="6357341" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="deutsche-bank">Deutsche Bank</keyword> is considering laying off 18,000 employees globally over the next three years. </li><li>This will reduce the bank's workforce to 74,000. </li><li>The investment bank is planning to shut down its equity business to overcome the $3.1 billion loss.</li></ul>In a bid to turn its banking division more profitable, German multinational Deutsche Bank is considering laying off 18,000 employees in the next three years. This will slash its workforce to 74,000, Mint <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/world/deutsche-bank-to-slash-18-000-jobs-in-sweeping-restructuring-1562526055816.html">reported</a> citing company officials. Investors cheered the decision as Deutsche Bank shares rose 2.5% on Friday after the announcement. “Today we have announced the most fundamental transformation of Deutsche Bank in decades. We are tackling what is necessary to unleash our true potential,” Christian Sewing, Chief Executive Officer <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/deutsche-bank-slashes-18000-jobs-in-8-3-billion-overhaul/articleshow/70121953.cms">told </a>ET. These latest job cuts will account for one-fifth of the company’s workforce. While it yet unknown where these jobs will be retrenched, the bank is planning to shut its equity business to overcome the $3.1 billion loss in the second quarter. This came after failure in the bank’s merger with Commerzbank. The investment bank’s London unit staffs nearly 8,000 employees, making it a feasible stock operation unit. The bank will also spend nearly 4 billion euros by 2022 to revamp the business, and improve its finances. It will now focus on steady and revenue-generating business areas. Last year, it has already slashed 6,000 jobs. The German bank has been facing troubles for the last three years, as heavy penalties took a bite off its profits. The mounting fines it had to pay up has eroded its value too as share prices took a beating. In 2017, the bank paid $7.2 billion to the Justice Department for stock trading with the people having unsteady credit. The last few years have brought any good news for banking professionals across the world. As many as 32,000 jobs were cut last year in the financial services and banking sector, <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/world/deutsche-bank-says-to-slash-18000-jobs-by-2022-4179821.html">according to</a> Barkow Consulting. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mukesh-ambani-led-reliance-jio-cuts-contractual-staff/articleshow/69576896.cms">India’s telecom giant Reliance Jio cuts contractual staff</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/samsung-xiaomi-huawei-battle-results-in-1000-workers-fired/articleshow/70037544.cms">Samsung is firing 1,000 employees in India as cheaper Chinese smartphones squeeze profits</a>

Deutsche Bank will cut 18,000 jobs as it shuts down most of Asia's loss-making equities business

<ul><li>In an interview with Business Insider, <keyword id="327937" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karan-Bajaj">Karan Bajaj</keyword>, CEO of <keyword id="8080458" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhiteHat-Jr">Whitehat Jr</keyword> said that the company is doubling the number of employees and teachers to meet the 100% month-on-month increase in student enrollments. </li><li>For the non-teaching roles, the startup is looking to hire employees across domains like sales, curriculum creation, operations. </li><li>The minimum compensation we are considering for entry-level employees is ₹500,000 per annum. </li></ul>The <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic has ushered an era of <keyword id="23248" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Online-learning">online learning</keyword>. As students move to remote learning setup, Indian edtech startup Whitehat Jr has ramped up hiring to meet the surge in enrollments. In an interview with Business Insider, Karan Bajaj, CEO of Whitehat Jr said that the company is doubling the number of employees and teachers to meet the 100% month-on-month increase in student enrollments. ALSO READ: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/uber-has-revoked-job-offers-made-to-graduates-from-iims-mdi-spjimr/articleshow/75740158.cms">Uber has revoked job offers made to graduates from IIMs, MDI, SPJIMR</a> “We have 400 employees and 1,500 teachers as of now and we are doubling on both fronts. If we look at last month (April), we added about 700 people — 500 teachers remotely and 200 employees — despite the lockdown and onboarded all of them virtually,” he said. At a time when companies are downsizing their workforce, the startup, which offers AI courses to children aged between 6-14 years, is also looking to hire professionals from other startups. The teachers will be hired on a contractual basis as they are freelancers and are supposed to work remotely. “Teachers are all on cloud, so we have set up a very strong tech to enable the teachers to facilitate learning. We were able to scale that very well,” he added. <div type="image" title="Snapshot 2" msid="75688788" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Online coding classes at Whitehat Jr&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> They are onboarding women as teaching staff, who have a strong academic background in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) in fields such as machine learning and space technology. Women account for 85% of the teaching staff at Whitehat Jr. ALSO READ: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/breaking-down-modi-20-lakh-crore-stimulus-rbi-and-finance-ministry-steps-land-and-labour-laws/articleshow/75709001.cms">RBI and Finance Ministry have already spent nearly half of Narendra Modi’s $270 billion stimulus⁠— watch out for changes to land and labour laws</a> For the non-teaching roles, the startup is looking to hire employees across domains like sales, curriculum creation, operations. “The company is growing at 100% month-on-month. With that kind of doubling up, the tech has to be built more scalably and operations teams have to take care of the growing number of classes. So we need strong resources in every department.” Most of the new hires are expected to have 1-5 years of experience. However, Bajaj said that the startup is hiring across spectrum — team leaders, directors and other middle management roles. So, the experience may vary for them, according to the seniority level. “The minimum compensation we are considering for entry-level employees is ₹500,000 per annum,” he added. Backed by Nexus Venture Partners and Omidyar Network India, the startup is now eyeing global expansion as the enrollments increase exponentially. The company claims that its US business is growing more than 200% every month. “We have a strong 25-member internal recruitment team, and consultants who are giving us hundreds of profiles. People are also applying via social media platforms. So, all mechanisms are open right now,” Bajaj said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/india-chief-economic-advisor-krishnamurthy-subramanian-on-labour-law-changes/articleshow/75709571.cms">India’s Chief Economic Advisor uses the word ‘squatters’ to describe India’s ‘formal’ workforce while pushing for controversial labour law changes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/ratan-tatas-advise-to-investors/articleshow/75687743.cms">Ratan Tata’s advice to investors — 'Don't dismiss anything as being too far out'</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/70-of-oyo-hotels-in-china-have-reopened-and-bookings-are-rising-slowly-the-company-says/articleshow/75687657.cms">70% of OYO hotels in China have reopened ⁠— and bookings are rising slowly, the company says</a>

This edtech startup is looking to hire 1,500 teachers and 400 other staff immediately⁠— CEO says the business is doubling every month

Are Delhiites suffering <keyword id="6361137" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="power-cuts">power cuts</keyword> due to faulty cables, failure of transformers or broken poles? The answer is no. They are suffering power cuts as contractual employees of the two <keyword id="6399726" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="BSES">BSES</keyword> discoms, who are on strike, have resorted to <keyword id="6634907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sabotage">sabotage</keyword> by shutting off supply at substations. The <keyword id="2001721" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal-government">Arvind Kejriwal government</keyword> is likely to invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act (<keyword id="55759" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="ESMA">ESMA</keyword>) if the crisis grows. The sabotage, coming just a day after <keyword id="6354952" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Delhi-Government">Delhi government</keyword> announced a slew of measures to tackle power cuts, affected supply across south, central and west Delhi, hitting 15 of the 20 divisions under BSES, as per a Times of India report. 

	The contractual workers are presently on strike and are demanding regular jobs. They later agreed to hold their 'operations' for two days after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reached out to the union.
 

	The problem started from Wednesday evening, when contractual workers under the Delhi vidyut board employees union started shutting off power supply in Masjid Mod, CR Park, New Friends Colony, Greater Kailash I and II, Sarita Vihar, South Extension, Kalkaji, Nehru Place and surrounding areas.
 

	The workers also reportedly damaged substations in BRPL's west Delhi areas of Hari Nagar, Paschim Vihar, Tilak Nagar and Karol Bagh.
 

	The union later said it was suspending the sabotage action temporarily. "All other services would continue to remain suspended. Only power has been restored. But this is also for just two days. If our demands are not met, we will go back to a full blackout of Delhi," warned union general secretary D C Kapil.
 <keyword id="6358992" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Delhi-Police">Delhi Police</keyword> said they also received calls from officers in-charge of substations in many areas about workers protesting outside their offices and forcing them to shut down. Police force was sent to several such locations. The union employees' agitation started earlier this week, but intensified from Wednesday evening. Discoms BRPL and BYPL then sent SOS messages to the government, <keyword id="191356" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="LG-office">LG office</keyword> and asked for police intervention to stop the attacks on their substations. 

	Meanwhile, the government is monitoring the situation closely. TOI learnt that the power department has been put on alert and is studying the provisions of ESMA in the eventuality that the crisis worsens.
 A <keyword id="175383" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="BSES-spokesperson">BSES spokesperson</keyword> said disciplinary action had been taken against a few employees for indiscipline and violating service standards. "Unfortunately, in reaction, a few of the disgruntled contractual employees resorted to illegal disruption of work at certain places in south and west Delhi," the spokesperson said. 

	Meanwhile, the striking employees justified their strike. Union general secretary Kapil said: "There are 30,000 contractual employees with the three discoms. BSES has about 20,000. Most of them have been working for 10 years or so without being made permanent."
 

	He further said these workers were being shunted from one company to another every four to five months. "Only 50% of their salary is paid while the remaining is handed out to officers. The affected employees include all levels of workers including labourers, linesmen, bill distributors, meter readers, meter installers, engineers, payment recovery personnel and even stenographers," he said. 
	 
	(Image: Reuters)

Power cuts: Blame it to staff who are purposely disrupting supply

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.paimages.co.uk/image-details/2.26532925">Joe Giddens / PA Wire/Press Association Images</a>Staff at the Sports Direct warehouse in Shirebrook, Derbyshire.</div></div></div>How did Sports Direct get away with running what MPs called <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/mps-report-sports-direct-victorian-workhouse-mike-ashley-reform-corporate-governance-2016-7">"a Victorian workhouse"</a> for so long? And why isn't anyone going to jail for it?The answer is that, aside from effectively paying employees less than minimum wage, it doesn't look like the company broke any laws. In fact, the reason it was able to get away with "treating workers as commodities rather than human beings" was because employees were made to sign up to punishing contracts that left them powerless.Sports Direct is the name most associated with zero hour contracts in the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>. It has just 200 full-time employees at its Derbyshire headquarters but employs more than 3,000 temporary staff there.The punishing deals the temp staff were made to sign up to gave Sports Direct total power. It meant staff could be punished for taking sick days, effectively couldn't get a second job, and had no certainty over how much money they might make from one week to the next.Here are the key points from the awful contract they signed:<h2>NO FLEXIBILITY</h2>One of the central arguments of the pro-zero hours gang is that <a href="http://www.cityam.com/223496/why-zero-hours-contracts-are-good-news-both-workers-and-businesses">the deals give workers flexibility</a>. If you're a single mum who suddenly has to look after a sick child, you can just turn down a shift.That might be true for some workers, but in the case of Sports Direct, you absolutely can't do that. Here is what the BIS Committee's report on Sports Direct (for reference, Transline is one of two temp agencies Sports Direct uses, and all emphasis is ours):"Although the contracts only guarantee a very low level of annual hours (and therefore pay), they nonetheless place very restrictive requirements on the workers. For example, under the Transline contracts, Transline incurs no liability to each worker should it fail to offer any assignments beyond the guaranteed 336 hours; but the worker enjoys no corresponding freedom because "unless there is good cause", the worker "must" accept any suitable assignment offered by the Company."The clause goes on to state: "Refusal to accept a suitable assignment without good cause will result in you being deemed not available for work and may constitute gross misconduct. This may result in the termination of employment without notice and without payment in lieu of notice.""When Jenny Hardy, the Finance Officer from Transline, was asked what would constitute "good causes" which would be permissible for people to decline work, she replied, "I would not be able to give an example". The result is a very unbalanced outcome."So the temporary agency doesn't have to give the worker anything beyond the 336 hours a year agreed, but if the worker is offered a shift and can't do it, then they're fired.That means if you're on the books of someone like Transline you have to effectively sit at home all day waiting for the phone to ring. Not only can you not afford to take a day to look after your sick child if you're offered a shift, you also can't take a second job. What if the phone rings and you're needed down at Shirebrook in a few hours?The report says: "The worker must, in effect, always be available for work which may never materialise. It is hard to see how in these circumstances, for example, the worker could have a job with another employer, since he or she is permanently "on call"."But at least they've got those guaranteed 336 hours right?<h2>NO CERTAINTY</h2>While staff are guaranteed 336 hours a year, these aren't spread out regularly over the year as you'd expect. Here is the report:"The majority of agency workers are employed on contracts guaranteeing work for only 336 hours a year (that is, seven weeks' work if the working week is 48 hours). In practice, workers are typically engaged on 40 hours' work a week for nine weeks at the start of the year, and subsequent to this period have no contractual rights to any guaranteed weekly hours and therefore to the associated payment of wages. This arrangement effectively leaves the workers on zero-hour contracts for the vast majority of the year."How can you live like this? You earn all your guaranteed earnings for the year by mid-March and then are unable to go job hunting elsewhere because you are at the temp agency's beck and call. And if you're thinking they can at least try and find a night job, think again. The Sports Direct Derbyshire warehouse is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.here is the report again:"Such working arrangements give the workers maximum risk and minimum security at work. Although workers can stay at Shirebrook for years, they are unable to plan ahead because they do not know whether they will be working the next week, or even the next day. This has a knock-on impact on workers being able to pay rent. Their hours and hence their pay are within the complete control of their employer, the agencies."<h2>NO RIGHTS</h2>Legally if you're working at the same place for 2-years you are entitled to certain rights such as appealing for unfair dismissal, no matter what contract you are on.But this is just a technicality for most Sports Direct staff, a promise not worth the paper it's written on, as Steve Turner, Assistant General Secretary at Unite the Union, pointed out in his evidence to the committee:"Even though on paper you may be regarded as an employee and able to access, if indeed you can afford it, the employment tribunal system, the reality is, for most zero-hour workers and short-hour workers, you are simply denied work if you raise a grievance or raise a concern with your employer."Whether this actually happens or not, the fear of such punitive action creates a power imbalance between worker and employer, and this "may well contribute to other problems with the employment conditions," the report says. The committee received evidence of people being fired after taking sick leave and being humiliated over the tannoy system for failing to get stock quick enough.In all cases of this nature, the employees just felt too powerless to speak out.<h2>SIX STRIKES</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.paimages.co.uk/image-details/2.26532915">Joe Giddens / PA Wire/Press Association Images</a>Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley at his warehouse.</div></div></div>The agencies that send staff to Sports Direct operate a "six strikes and you're out" policy, meaning they are taken off the books.A strike can be anything from spending too long in the toilet or chatting, to taking time off when they are ill or when their children are unwell.Not only is the system overly punitive, Luke Primarolo, Regional Officer at Unite, told the committee that staff "do not have any recourse to defend themselves if they are accused of something they have done wrong."The report concludes that the six strikes policy "denigrates the workers at Sports Direct and gives the management unreasonable and excessive powers to discipline or dismiss at will, reinforced by their power to control the hours offered to each worker."Workers are unlikely to challenge strike decisions, because they know if they do, they probably will not be offered any more hours in the future."<h2>'REDUCE COST AND PASS RESPONSIBILITY'</h2>The report concludes that there is "no convincing reason why Sports Direct engaged the workers through agencies on short-term, temporary contracts, other than to reduce costs and pass responsibility."Sports Direct not only gets to exert an iron grip on its employees, it gets to cut costs while doing so too!The inquiry report highlights just how bad zero-hour deals are for workers. Zero-hours contracts have long been in the firing line for politicians and the press, with former Labour leader Ed Miliband making <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32147715">abolishing the contract a key part of his election campaign last year</a>.But the Conservative government has done nothing to curb the contracts, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/ons-uk-zero-hours-contracts-latest-data-2015-9">with a big jump in the number of UK workers on the contracts from 624,000 in 2014 to 744,000 in 2015.</a>The Sports Direct report should be a call to arms to tackle these kinds to deals to stop workers been humiliated, intimidated, and generally screwed over by companies. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/most-successful-shark-tank-stories-2016-7">5 of the most successful 'Shark Tank' stories of all time</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="pxanFreTrxlZGsVrCTcXaLsYyQbC08oW" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Here is the terrible contract staff at Sports Direct's 'Victorian workhouse' had to sign up to

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Large companies like Disney and Uber have arbitration clauses in their Terms of Use.</li><li>Arbitration is when a neutral third party settles a dispute instead of a jury trial.</li></ul>Companies are using a simple strategy to avoid courtroom litigation when disaster strikes: the fine print.Terms and conditions have become a ubiquitous part of life for many people, from purchasing concert tickets to applying for a credit card. The legal agreement between businesses and their customers spells out both parties' responsibilities under a contractual relationship.That legal agreement can include an <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-plaintiffs-law-firms-bring-mass-arbitration-cases-class-actions-2021-11">arbitration clause</a> that removes a customer's right to sue a company when things go wrong — whether the customer knows it or not. Instead, they can be forced to use a neutral third party to settle a dispute instead of a jury at trial.In some cases, companies are using infinite arbitration clauses, which can extend to individuals beyond the original contractual parties, requiring all disputes to be settled out of the courtroom, and can be enforceable even after terminating a service."Infinite clauses stretch to the horizon and last forever. They are less a contractual provision and more a kind of arbitration servitude," David Horton, a professor at the University of California, Davis, School of Law, wrote in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.It's a near-century-old practice that some legal experts say should be modernized for the digital age.<h2 id="27cb7a2c-c011-4afd-9917-00dc1588da6c">The Disney case</h2>In the case of large companies, arbitration clauses included in one service can often apply to any service the company offers.This scenario gained attention earlier this year after a New York State man filed a <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-wrongful-death-lawsuit-theme-park-2024-8">wrongful-death lawsuit against Disney</a> and a restaurant operator who runs a pub at Disney Springs. Disney does not own the restaurant.Jeffrey Piccolo's lawsuit said his wife, Kanokporn Tangsuan, died in October 2023 from a "severe acute allergic reaction" after dining at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant, where they asked a staff member on "numerous occasions" if allergen-free options were available. The staff member assured them the restaurant did, but Tangsuan collapsed inside Planet Hollywood later that night and was transported to a local hospital, according to the complaint.A medical examiner's investigation determined she died due to "anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system."<div type="image" title="A photo of a sign on a water tower with the Disney Springs logo" height="1704" width="2560" msid="115384767" hostid="261" sizebytes="276990"></div>In response, Disney filed a motion to compel arbitration, arguing that Piccolo could not sue the company because he had agreed to its Terms of Use when signing up for a free Disney+ trial years earlier and again when purchasing tickets to its theme park. Disney quickly found itself in a <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-wrongful-death-lawsuit-legal-argument-pr-nightmare-2024-8">PR nightmare</a> as people online called the move "very dystopian" and urged users to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions in retaliation.After the criticism, Disney reversed course and dropped its motion to compel arbitration. The case is pending in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Orange County, Florida."At Disney, we strive to put humanity above all other considerations. With such unique circumstances as the ones in this case, we believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss," Josh D'Amaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences, said in a statement.Although Disney relented, Piccolo isn't the only one to get caught up in the fine print, and he likely won't be the last.Lawyers and legal experts who spoke to Business Insider said there is little consumers can do to avoid arbitration clauses in an era when signing contracts often happens with the tap of a finger."I think the only thing we can do is opt out of the internet," Joseph Cammarata, a partner at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata &amp; Siegel, P.C. in Washington DC, told Business Insider.<h2 id="7db68ead-3086-4a47-adf0-1c0cf75edcf6">Large companies use arbitration to avoid damaging their reputations in a public trial</h2><div type="image" title="Preview of John and Georgia McGinty alongside the crashed Uber vehicle." height="3264" width="2962" msid="115384769" hostid="261" sizebytes="435138"></div>Like Disney, Uber made headlines this year for a 2023 lawsuit filed by Georgia and John McGinty in the Superior Court of New Jersey.In a September court filing, the couple said they were riding in an Uber in March 2022 when the driver ran a red light and crashed into another vehicle. The court filing said Georgia sustained multiple injuries, including rib, cervical, and lumbar spine fractures. She also experienced damage to her abdominal wall, pelvic floor, and a protruding hernia.John sustained "severe" fractures to his left arm and wrist and a fractured sternum, according to the lawsuit.Uber responded by filing a motion to compel arbitration, which that court denied. However, Uber appealed, and New Jersey's appellate division sided with the company, which said the McGinty's could not have a courtroom trial because Georgia agreed to its Terms of Use in 2022 for an unrelated Uber Eats order. The couple pushed back, saying their underage daughter made that order and have filed an appeal."While the plaintiffs continue to tell the press that it was their daughter who ordered Uber Eats and accepted the Terms of Use, it's worth noting that in court they could only 'surmise' that that was the case but could not recall whether their daughter ordered food independently or if Georgia assisted," an Uber spokesperson said in a statement.<div type="image" title="Georgia McGinty, who was involved in an Uber car crash." height="3024" width="4032" msid="115384772" hostid="261" sizebytes="674730"></div>Stacey Lee, a professor of law and ethics at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, told BI that consumers are increasingly running into arbitration clauses, but how businesses use them isn't necessarily new."It has always been the default for businesses to want to go to arbitration for a number of reasons," Lee said."You're not going to have a class action lawsuit, you're not going to have it plastered on top of the front page, there's limited discovery, and businesses have a little more control over who the arbitrators are," she said.Arbitration usually has three arbitrators selected from the Arbitration Association of America. They're often business professionals with experience in a specific field."Their knowledge of the customs and norms of the industry is very different than a judge's, and because they're on the business side, they have a tendency to agree more with the business interpretations of how things work," Lee said.Cammarata said companies know juries might be less sympathetic to their arguments."They want to limit public accountability and responsibility," he said. "A jury may listen and say, 'Uber, are you kidding me?'"However, arbitration isn't inherently anti-consumer or unfair to the average person. Compared to courtroom litigation, arbitration can cost less money and be a quicker process. People also can request an appeal in arbitration, but it's not the same as a courtroom trial, where they would have the right to do so.This private form of settling legal disputes arose with the Federal Arbitration Act in 1925, making it nearly 100 years old. John Carpenter, a partner at the California-based law firm Carpenter &amp; Zuckerman, said the arbitration clause is due for an update."The problem is we're applying a statute that goes back to 1925 to 2024," Carpenter said, "It's an entirely different world. The world we live in now wasn't even conceivable in 1925."Carpenter said that arbitration was generally used to determine one-on-one agreements, but now "it's being used digitally in terms of use agreements and essentially contracting away an entire branch of government with a click."<h2 id="dcbb6564-3ff6-4ae5-98ab-600c97fc4c6e">How consumers protect themselves from arbitration clauses</h2>Cammarata said one way consumers can navigate arbitration is to check if a company's terms of use has an opt-out clause. That, however, relies on consumers reading through the businesses' Terms of Use, which are often lengthy and written in legal jargon."First of all, they haven't read it, so they don't even know that they agreed to arbitration, let alone to opt out," he said.Lee said that while courts tend to be critical of arbitration clauses in employment agreements, they're less so regarding things like streaming services or rideshare apps."Increasingly, courts are like, 'You can read. You scroll through and click yes. It is now your responsibility," Lee said. "You can walk away from the service, and it doesn't affect your life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness."John said he believes courts need to reexamine the Federal Arbitration Act."It's going to require legislative action to take a look at this," he said.

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