Kovai Inc flays mandatory Covid-19 test for workers

Coimbatore: After the city corporation ordered commercial establishments to test employees once a fortnight in private labs, industrialists said that the move would cause financial strain as most of the businesses have taken a hit due to pandemic situation.
Instead, the government should enforce a complete lockdown in the district for a few weeks to control the spread of Covid-19, they said.
“Most of our employees who left for their native places haven’t returned yet. Due to low business orders, most of the companies are functioning only four days a week with minimal workforce. We are struggling to pay salaries. In this situation, how can an employer afford to spend thousands of rupees every month to test employees?” asked president of the Kovai Power Driven Pumps and Spares Manufacturers Association (Kopma) K Maniraj.
“Our employees would not agree if we decide to deduct a percentage of testing fee from their salaries. In the absence of government support, some companies have borrowed and pledged properties to run business,” he added.
While a similar practise is not followed in other part of the state, why is the corporation insisting on it, asked J James, district president of the Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises (Tact). “If we had sufficient money, we would have increased the workers’ salary and even called them back from their native places. Instead of targeting us, the government should take steps to test all people,” he said.
President of the Coimbatore Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association B Muthuvenkatraman agreed. “Why is the government segregating our employees from the rest of the public? Even if I follow all the guidelines, including testing my employees every fortnight, they might catch the infection from customers or their family members. To control the spread of the virus, the government should impose complete lockdown and take steps to identify and treat the infected people.”
On Friday, members of the Joint Council of Associations of Coimbatore submitted a petition to collector K Rajamani, requesting him not to insist on testing workers in private labs once in 15 days and to test only those with symptoms at government centres.
Meanwhile, corporation sources said that the employees can also undergo testing at its medical camps that are conducted daily.