Internal email announcing salary cuts at the Economic and Political Weekly
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From: “Gauraang Pradhan”
To:
Sent: Saturday, 21 June, 2020
Subject: Letter from Prof Guru attached
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Dear All,
Hope you are well and safe.
I am forwarding an email from Prof Guru, Editor EPW which is attached to this email.
Stay safe and stay healthy.
Regards,
Gauraang
Economic and Political Weekly
320–321, A-Z Industrial Estate,
Ganpatrao Kadam Marg,
Lower Parel,
Mumnai 400 013 India
Attachment 📎
EPW Staff Letter
Dear All,
As you are aware, the prevailing COVID-19 lockdown, which started in the last week of March, 2020, has posed several serious challenges to regular operations of EPW. Following the central and state governments’ notification, physical access to EPW offices have remained closed from Mach 23 2020. However, arrangements have been made for staff to work from home to minimize the impact of disruption. Contents have been uploaded to EPW website and weekly issues have been regularly published online and on time. When printing and postal services resume, issues will be printed and dispatched to the subscribers of print edition. I place on record my sincere appreciation for the commitment shown by all of you in these trying times.
You may recall that we released the salary in full for the months of April and May 2020, while many organisations had already cut the staff salary. Although we have been trying to minimise the impact of the pandemic on our finances, the actual revenue earned and expenditure incurred in April and May, and their projections for the next few months show that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious financial constraints, which if left uncontrolled now, would make the system unsustainable. Keeping this emergency in view,a special online meeting of the Sameekhsa Trust was convened on the 19th of June, 2020 to deliberate on the extremely difficult financial situation that EPW is going through and to adopt possible measures to collectively meet the challenge in order to ensure the sustainability of the Journal.
In the meeting of Sameeksha Trust, it was decided that given the grim financial situation that we are going through, there was no other choice but to implement an interim measure of reducing salary staff to a reasonanble level. Accordingly, it was decided to reduce the total salary bill by 1/3rd to be effective for the months of June and July, 2020. It was also decided that the percentage of reduction for individual staff members would vary depending upon their present salaries. The situation will be reviewed in the month of August.
In view of the decision of the Trust, it is therefore being suggested that all of us appreciate and agree with the Trust’s decision and accept in earnest spirit and urgency the cut in the staff salary. This will be introduced from staff members’ monthly pay of June and July 2020. Following the principle of graduated reduction, we will be sending separately individual communications to each staff member indicating the percentage of reduction in their salary.
While we are taking all steps to improve our finances, the prevailing external situations have compelled us to take this decision. I am sure all of you will undersntad the circumstances leading up to this decision and I do hope that you will continue to zealously discharge your responsibilities.
As mentioned, we will be reviewing the financial situation in the month of August. Further decision will depend on how things look at that time.
Please stay safe and stay healthy,
With warm regards,
(Gopal Guru)
Editor, EPW
