The dispute between US-based healthcare solutions company CorroHealth and its Kerala employees intensified on Monday after nearly 800 terminated staff were allegedly denied entry to the company’s Kochi office, despite an earlier understanding with the Kerala Labour Department to maintain the status quo pending further talks.
Employees who arrived at the company’s Palarivattom office said they were stopped from entering the co-working facility after CorroHealth allegedly instructed the management not to allow them inside. The employees later staged a sit-in protest outside the office.
Manager Vishnu, one of the affected employees, alleged the company had violated the agreement reached during Friday’s conciliation talks. He also questioned CorroHealth’s claim of financial difficulties, alleging the company credited two to three months’ salary to terminated employees overnight, transferring an estimated ₹12–15 crore, even while the matter remained under Labour Department conciliation.
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Following the latest developments, the Labour Commissioner is meeting employee representatives in Kochi, while the Labour Secretary is also expected to assess the situation. After CorroHealth sought to postpone Monday’s scheduled talks, Labour Minister Bindu Krishna has convened a fresh meeting with the company’s senior management on Friday.
Employees also claimed that while they still possess their physical ID cards, the company has disabled their access to internal systems. CorroHealth has defended the retrenchment by citing provisions of the new Central Labour Code, but the Kerala government maintains the Code has not yet been implemented in the state and therefore cannot be invoked.
Backed by trade unions, including CITU, the protesting employees continue to demand reinstatement. They say they are willing to discuss salary restructuring to save jobs but, if the layoffs are not withdrawn, are seeking compensation equivalent to 10 months’ salary.
