Corro Health Layoffs: V Sivankutty Criticises Govt's Pro-Corporate Stance

Thiruvananthapuram: V Sivankutty has strongly criticized the state government's pro-corporate stance over the dismissal of 816 employees of Corro Health, a major healthcare company operating in Ernakulam and Kozhikode, accusing it of siding with the management instead of protecting workers' rights.

Following the mass layoffs, the Labour Minister convened a meeting on July 20 with trade unions and the company's management. However, Sivankutty alleged that the government completely surrendered to the corporate management during the discussions.

He said the government had the legal authority under the Industrial Disputes Act to initiate action against the company for carrying out unilateral dismissals. Instead of exercising those powers, the government accepted the layoffs and adopted a position favourable to the management, amounting to a betrayal of the workers, he added.

Sivankutty further argued that the government's approach was equivalent to endorsing the new labour codes that the Central government is attempting to implement, which he described as anti-worker. If the issue could simply be settled by paying compensation to the employees, there would have been no need for a ministerial-level meeting, he said.

According to Sivankutty, the decision has created uncertainty for employees in the IT and healthcare sectors. He warned that the government's support for Corro Health's management could set a precedent, enabling other corporate firms to dismiss employees more easily in the future.

He added that strong legal action and protest campaigns would be organised to safeguard the rights of the affected employees.