How Can I Persuade Contract Workers to Accept the Original Salary Offer Amid Pay Discrepancies?

Dear Team, I am Sankar MLM, and I need to make some important decisions. I am working as an HR Executive on-site where 200 employees are currently working. The recruitment process on my site is handled by the operations manager, and at that time, the salary was fixed at a gross amount of 15,340, as stated in the offer letters. However, the employees are requesting a gross salary of 17,500, which includes 50 candidates. The operations manager verbally communicated that the salary change would be considered within two months, although this was not reflected in the offer letters.

After two months passed, my head office sent out appointment orders. I contacted all the employees, but they did not agree with the appointment. The operations manager mentioned that the pay scale change would happen within two months, but so far, it has not been altered. I am seeking guidance on how to convince these contract labor employees to agree to the terms outlined in the offer letter.

Thank you.

Hi, my understanding of your question is that your Operations Manager, at the time of recruitment, fixed the salary at Rs. 15,340 for 50 employees. Upon their request for a salary of Rs. 17,500, he assured them that their salary would be revised within two months. Now, after two months, you have received appointment letters for those fifty employees with a salary of Rs. 15,340 each instead of Rs. 17,500, and the employees are not accepting the appointment orders. Is this your question?

Now, you can check with your Operations Manager whether he had given any such assurance of revising the salary. If possible, try to communicate this issue through your Operations Manager and attempt to obtain revised letters. In that case, you will need to pay arrears for the paid months - the difference amount.

If the above does not work, request all 50 employees to accept the appointment orders now and inform them that you will address this issue in the next revision or when there is an opportunity to revise their salary.

Hi All,

If they are not accepting to take the appointment letter, how can they demand more salary? Refusing to take the appointment letter shows that they are not employees, and they cannot be assured by your Operational Manager for a future salary increase. You need to discuss with your Operational Manager and the Head of HR at the Head Office how and in what form he has assured an increase in salary and resolve the issue.

Regards,
Kashinath
Assistant Manager - HR

Clarification on Offer Letter and Salary Commitment

Please clear the following doubts:

1) Was the offer letter showing Rs. 15,340 actually issued to those 50 persons and endorsed as 'accepted'?

2) Was there any written commitment given to those 50 individuals assuring that their salary would be revised to Rs. 17,500? If yes, from when is it to take effect?

3) If they are on a Fixed-Term Contract (FTC), what is the duration of their employment?

4) What do the clauses in the offer letter (if issued and accepted) say regarding their 'probation' and termination?

5) What do you think is the next course of action they are likely to take if their insistence on a revision to Rs. 17,500 is not accepted by your firm? Will they resign or quit?

6) Will they raise a 'dispute' under the Industrial Disputes Act (if all are covered under the ID Act)?

I guess the so-called 'commitment' to revise to Rs. 17,500 remains only an oral indication (something like "I'll try to do"), and may not be an 'assurance'. That being so, the affected employees will have no legal standing to raise a valid 'dispute' as they will have no documentation to defend their case.