The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Thursday wrote to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, expressing inability to pay full salaries for April to their employees amid pressure from trade unions.

The letter, dated May 7, stated that “under the circumstances it is becoming more difficult...to pay full salary for April...since the traders are undergoing a tremendous financial crunch and full payment of salary for the April month is next to impossible.”

If these payments are made, the traders’ body warned that the business of traders will “fall like anything” and in absence of any in flow of money this will be disastrous for the retail trade as well as badly affect the economy.

“...receiving input from traders across the country we are constrained to inform that in the present situation when the business establishment of the traders are closed since March 25th across the country they do not have any source of their income,” the letter added.

Asking the minister to look into the “ground realities”, the CAIT sought government intervention in the issue.

The traders’ body in an earlier letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had suggested that traders be allowed to pay salaries as per mutual agreement between the employer and employees, or allow payment of 30% of the salary “which is quite sufficient for livelihood of the employees”.

Alternatively, it had added that 50% salary be borne by the Government and 25% by the traders.