West Bengal Automobile Dealership Workers Demand Social Benefits

Kolkata: Prosenjit Roy (39)is employed in the automobile dealership industryin Kolkata for a decade.“Despite the industry’s high share in the tax revenue earned by both Centre and state, neither have bothered to form a board to ensure employee social security,” he said. 

Pointing out that employees neither get PF nor are covered by the Employees’ State Insurance Act, Roy told Newsclick that the Automobile Dealers Permanent Workers Union has demanded social benefits and other rights.

Recently, a dealership’s employeesin the state capital protested before the gate demanding bonus, yearly increments,appointment letters, insurance and PF.According to the union, the dealer didn’t answerthe labour commissioner’s queries regarding these rights.

“We won’t budge from our demands,”union president Indrajit Ghosh said during the protest.“Our main demands are appointment letters, salary slips, PV, insurance and proper working conditions.”

Claiming that even a BTech is paid only Rs 8,000-Rs10,000 in this industry, Roy, also the union’s secretary, said, “We want a minimum salary of Rs 21,000 for all dealership employees in the state so that they can earn a decent living.”

Roy told Newsclick that many “dealers pay only commission, not salaries, to sales employees”.

Recently, the union approached the labour commissioner regarding the closure of Supreme Motors, which had more than 150 employees throughout West Bengal who weren’t paid their dues, he said.