Medical reps condemn drug industry

NAGPUR, JAN 25: The Maharashtra Sales and Medical Representatives' Association (MSMRA) has condemned the drug industry for criticising th...

NAGPUR, JAN 25: The Maharashtra Sales and Medical Representatives’ Association (MSMRA) has condemned the drug industry for criticising the passing of the MRTP and PULP Act 1971 Amendment Bill by the State Legislature in the last winter Assembly.

According to a press note by J W Deshmukh, general secretary of the MSMRA, the criticism of the Bill that it was passed in a hurry is not true at all. The employee-friendly amendment Bill was long due. In fact the MSMRA had conducted an agitational programme since 1994 against the Maharashtra Government for the legitimate and rightful demand for extension of the benefits of MRTU and PULP Act to the medical representatives.

The State Government had brought the Bill in the Legislative Assembly earlier and it had been passed unanimously, but the Bill could not be placed in the Legislative Council. The Bill was therefore re-introduced in the Legislative Council of the winter Assembly in December last year in Nagpur. Understanding the difficulties of the medicalrepresentatives the Bill was passed by the MLCs unanimously.

Story continues below this ad

The Supreme Court in its judgment on medical representatives in August 1994, had stated that while medical representatives are entitled for benefits and coverage under Industrial Disputes Act 1947, medical representatives are not entitled for benefits and coverage under the Maharashtra Recognition of Trade Unions and Prevention of Unfair Labour Practice Act (MRTU & PULP Act) 1971.

The judgment of the Supreme Court had emboldened the employers to take unilateral punitive action like transfers, terminations, stop work orders etc. on medical representatives as they could not approach the court directly to acquire injunction or stay orders.

Immediately after the Supreme Court judgment, MSMRA had raised the demand with the State Government to amend the MRTU and PULP 1971 Act in such a manner so as to include all sales promotion employees in the said Act. MRTU & PULP Act is applicable to all the industrial workers in the State including the medicalrepresentatives now. The step is most welcome and would give a fair deal to the workers in the State, feels Deshmukh.

The criticism by the drug industry led by Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India and Indian Drug Manufacturers Association, is therefore not fair, he says.