The Mumbai Press Club has said that it is shocked at the many layoffs happening in the media industry in the wake of lockdown. In an open letter, the Club has made an appeal to the government to prevent the illegal firings from taking place.

We are dismayed by the announcement of several media houses shutting operations, firing staff and announcing mid-stream and unilateral cuts in salaries of journalists and other employees. Almost acting on cue, several of these media groups, citing restricted business operations and falling revenue, have put hundreds of journalists and other employees on the streets in the middle of the curfew period, the letter to the I&B Ministry says, adding that the firings and closure of departments are both contrary to the due process of law, as well as the violation of the advisories put out by the central government.

The letter says that the firings are against the existing rules as well as sub-legislations. They go against the Union ministry of Labour and Employment's circular on 20 March 2020 advising both public and private employers not to terminate employees or reduce wages. In his address to the nation on 14 April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi again reiterated in his ‘Appeal No.6’ to businessmen and companies not to terminate their employees at the time of crisis, it mentions.

The Club also lists out some of the closures and job losses in recent days:

Outlook and Forbes India suspend print operations on 30 March and 27 March 2020, respectively.

15 journalists of the Sakal Group are asked to resign on 31 March.

Indian Express and Business Standard announce salary cuts ranging from 30 to 50 percent.

India Ahead News announces salary cuts on 4 April 2020.

A section of journalists at The Quint are asked to go on leave without pay, others are asked to take a salary cut on 9th and 10th April.

News Nation lays off its entire English digital team of 15 journalists and Star of Mysore suspends print operations on 12 April.

Nai Duniya owned by Dainik Jagran suspends print operations on 13 April.

Some of the big groups including Times Group, HT Media, Network18 Group and India Today Group have cutbacks or abolished some emoluments and are planning the shutdown of some departments and supplements and retrenching staff to save revenue. If these go through, huge job losses are on the cards.

What the government must do now?

The letter urges the Union government to blacklist all media groups that have carried out illegal terminations of employees and closures, and bar them from benefiting in any way from the government’s rescue package /tax waiver schemes, as well exclude these companies from being recipients of government advertising.