EPF account interest for FY 2017-18 still not credited: Here’s what we know so far
For some of the members of The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), there seems to be a delay in the credit of interest in their Employee’s Provident Fund (EPF) accounts. Employees who were waiting for the EPFO to credit their EPF account with interest for the financial year 2017-18 have till date not been able to view it in their PF statement. As per The Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme, 1952 rules, “Interest shall be credited to the member’s account on monthly running balances basis with effect from the last day in each year”. Going by this, the interest for the FY should get credited by March 31 of each year. This time, there appears to be a longer than usual delay in this process and has become a topic of discussion on social media platforms. ET Online has written emails to the EPFO head office seeking reasons for the delay and a probable timeline by which the interest would get credited. However, we are yet to get a reply. Meanwhile, there are few responses available on social media where some employees had raised similar queries with regional offices of the EPFO and had purportedly received replies from them. In one instance, the reply has been – “It is to inform that the compilation of annual accounts is being under process, however, as per manual accounting system of this office, it will be compiled on or before 30.09.2018.”

‘Labourers representatives to submit demands in writing’
Following repetitive incidents of violence involving embroidery labourers during past few Sundays, city police commissioner Satish Sharma held a meeting with embroidery unit owners and labour representatives on Tuesday. It was decided in the meeting that the labour representatives will submit a written application to the owners association first and later the demands will be discussed. At the meeting, representatives of Akhil Gujarat Embroidery Owners Association (AGEOA), various labour associations, officers of labour department and police officials remained present at the city police commissioner office. However, no final solution to the demands of leave on Sunday and salary related issues were resolved. “Police have called the representatives of both sides and concerned government departments to understand exactly what the issue is. It is a labour and industry related issue which has become a law and order issue,” city police commissioner Satish Sharma said. “I had discussed the issue with the district collector after which I called the representatives to find a solution to the issue since it is going on since last few weeks,” Sharma added. Sharma warned the labour representatives not to take law in their hands otherwise police will deal strictly with all those involved in violence.

Shalini Bharat succeeds S. Parasuraman as director-TISS

Professor Shalini Bharat is the new director of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). She had been the acting director since S. Parasuraman, her predecessor, resigned earlier this year.

Bharat has been working with TISS for more than three decades now. A gold medallist in MA and a PhD holder from Allahabad University, Bharat joined as a lecturer in 1984, and went on to become the first dean of the School of Health Systems Studies. Later, she was elevated to the role of deputy director (academic), and then given the additional charge of acting director in February.

A member of the governing body of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Bharat has also served as the National Coordinator of Global Fund Project – Saksham. She is also known for her association with the National Rural Health Mission and her presence on the governing board of the National Health Systems Resource Centre, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

S. Ramadorai, chairman of the governing board, TISS, said, “I am happy to welcome Prof. Bharat as director. As TISS gears up to cement its position as an institution of excellence in higher education, I am sure that Prof. Bharat, who brings with her a wealth of experience and vision, will take the initiative and ensure that TISS meets the challenges with passion and commitment.”

TCS staffer sacked for social media threats
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has fired an employee working in Kolkata, after he was found sending rape and death threats on social media to two women. Screenshots of the messages that contained expletives went viral on Facebook and Twitter, following which TCS launched an investigation. “At TCS we have zero tolerance towards any act which goes against our core values. The employee has been relieved with immediate effect,” said TCS spokesperson. He allegedly threatened to kill the first woman’s husband and son and then get her raped multiple times. Another woman, a 19-year-old from Assam, was verbally abused and threatened with violence. She filed a police complaint in Kolkata. ET could not contact the TCS employee, who has deleted his social media accounts after the messages went viral. While the first woman was also could not be contracted, the other woman, who does not want to be named fearing backlash, told ET that the man had sent her messages after reading her Facebook posts criticising the government. This is the latest case where a company has fired an employee over insensitive comments or hate speech

Hotter weather threatens productivity of Indian workers, says study; temperature rise also increases absenteeism
For every 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature above 27 degree Celsius on a hot day in India, productivity of workers declines by as much as 4 percent, according to a new study.  Annual average temperature in India has increased 2 degree Celsius over 200 years to 2006, and is predicted to rise further by 1.5-2.0 degree Celsius by 2030. Simply put, this means if a worker is packing 100 boxes of shoes in a day at 27 degree Celsius, he/she will pack only 96 boxes on a day when temperature is 28 degree Celsius. Small industries such as cloth-weaving units, which cannot afford air-conditioning, are most vulnerable to production losses due to rise in temperature, as per the 30 August, 2018, study prepared by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), a think-tank. Workers of “hotter regions” such as Delhi and Gujarat – together contributing about 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (on prices of 2014-15) – are likely to see a 4 percent decline in the productivity on a hot day against a 2 percent decline in the efficiency of the workers in “milder climate” of South and Central India, according to the study. Researchers looked at both labour-intensive and highly automated manufacturing processes. In the first category, they found that the productivity of workers engaged in cloth weaving or garment manufacturing dropped by as much as 4 percent per degree as temperatures rose above 27 degree Celsius, as per the study

Hotter weather threatens productivity of Indian workers, says study; temperature rise also increases absenteeism
For every 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature above 27 degree Celsius on a hot day in India, productivity of workers declines by as much as 4 percent, according to a new study.  Annual average temperature in India has increased 2 degree Celsius over 200 years to 2006, and is predicted to rise further by 1.5-2.0 degree Celsius by 2030. Simply put, this means if a worker is packing 100 boxes of shoes in a day at 27 degree Celsius, he/she will pack only 96 boxes on a day when temperature is 28 degree Celsius. Small industries such as cloth-weaving units, which cannot afford air-conditioning, are most vulnerable to production losses due to rise in temperature, as per the 30 August, 2018, study prepared by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), a think-tank. Workers of “hotter regions” such as Delhi and Gujarat – together contributing about 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (on prices of 2014-15) – are likely to see a 4 percent decline in the productivity on a hot day against a 2 percent decline in the efficiency of the workers in “milder climate” of South and Central India, according to the study. Researchers looked at both labour-intensive and highly automated manufacturing processes. In the first category, they found that the productivity of workers engaged in cloth weaving or garment manufacturing dropped by as much as 4 percent per degree as temperatures rose above 27 degree Celsius, as per the study