Dear Friends,
This is a, very tricky matter. First, for whatever reasons, you pay excess DA to you employees/workers. Then suddenly you wake up and realize this error on your part and have pland to recover the excess amount so paid (by you, I mean the management, please do not take offence to this)
Incidentally, did you try and find out how this excess amount was paid out to workers for three years and how this mistake was identified? I am intersted to know what exactly happened.
Now coming back to the matter at hand, yours being a unionised environment, recovery of the excess amount paid may not be as easy as you may think it is. The Union may object to this.
The best you can do is to have a meeting with Union members and through an agreement with them in writing, come to a settlement of how this recovery can happen. The final outcome of such a meeting will all depend upon how you are able to negotiate with them.
The other alternative, as has been suggested by a fellow member, is to get written consent from each workers individually and then go ahead ahead affect the recovery.
Yet another useful and very practical suggestion that has been made is that the excess amount could be adjusted against any future increase in wages. This also will have to be agreed to in a meeting with your Union Members. The modalities and mode of recovery will depend on the terms of agreement with the Union.
Best Wishes,
Vasant Nair
This is a, very tricky matter. First, for whatever reasons, you pay excess DA to you employees/workers. Then suddenly you wake up and realize this error on your part and have pland to recover the excess amount so paid (by you, I mean the management, please do not take offence to this)
Incidentally, did you try and find out how this excess amount was paid out to workers for three years and how this mistake was identified? I am intersted to know what exactly happened.
Now coming back to the matter at hand, yours being a unionised environment, recovery of the excess amount paid may not be as easy as you may think it is. The Union may object to this.
The best you can do is to have a meeting with Union members and through an agreement with them in writing, come to a settlement of how this recovery can happen. The final outcome of such a meeting will all depend upon how you are able to negotiate with them.
The other alternative, as has been suggested by a fellow member, is to get written consent from each workers individually and then go ahead ahead affect the recovery.
Yet another useful and very practical suggestion that has been made is that the excess amount could be adjusted against any future increase in wages. This also will have to be agreed to in a meeting with your Union Members. The modalities and mode of recovery will depend on the terms of agreement with the Union.
Best Wishes,
Vasant Nair