People magazine employees get relief from Mumbai Labour Court

The court has restrained Outlook Group from terminating employees of People till the due process of law is followed

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | July 31, 2013

As the Outlook Group announced that it was discontinuing its licences with international magazines People, Marie Claire and Geo through BestMediaInfo.com on July 26, 2013, over a hundred employees in these three magazines had no clue about their future in the absence of any written communication from their management regarding their exit and compensation. However, it is learnt that the management had verbally conveyed to the employees that their employment ended with the closure of the international titles.

In what could be called as a pre-emptive move to secure their interests, the 17-member editorial team of People India, led by editor Saira Menezes, sought the intervention of Labour Court Mumbai yesterday and the court restrained the management of Outlook Group, publishers of the Outlook news magazine, from terminating the employees of People India till the due process of law is followed.

In its order, the court, presided by PK Chitnis, directed Outlook to maintain status quo of the services of its employees. “Respondents are directed to maintain status quo and services of the complainants may not be terminated without following due procedure of law.”

The respondents – Outlook management, President Indranil Roy and Editorial Chairman Vinod Mehta – have been sent copies of the court's order.

The court took notice of the petition filed by employees of People on Tuesday morning. Advocate Anees S Kazi appeared for the complainants.

The Outlook management had through a public statement issued on Friday, July 26, 2013, announced the termination of its licences with international magazines People, Marie Claire and Geo.

Also read: Outlook to close down international titles - People, Geo and Marie Claire

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Own BestMediaInfo Android app for fastest updates and breaking news. Click here to download for free.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com