How people usually put it
Company has not paid salary for 3 months. They fired me without notice. Owner is not giving my last month pay and PF. Shop closed without telling us. Salary tharunnilla. Joli ninnu maatti. ശമ്പളം തരുന്നില്ല. പണിയിൽ നിന്ന് പിരിച്ചുവിട്ടു.
What the law says
Wages must be paid within the period fixed by the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 (and the Code on Wages, 2019 as notified), normally by the 7th or 10th of the following month depending on the size of the establishment. Unauthorised deductions are not allowed.
A "workman" under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 cannot be removed without due process: notice or notice pay and, for retrenchment after a year of continuous service, compensation and the required notice to the authorities. Managerial and supervisory staff above the wage threshold are outside this definition and rely on their contract.
Shops and commercial establishments in Kerala are also covered by the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1960, which deals with hours, leave and termination. Provident fund dues are recovered through the EPFO.
Wage claims have time limits, so act quickly rather than waiting for a promise to be kept.
Steps
- Collect proof of employment and dues: appointment letter, ID card, salary slips, bank statements, duty rosters, WhatsApp messages, the termination message.
- Send a written demand by registered post with acknowledgement due, giving the amount and a deadline of 7 to 14 days.
- Approach the Assistant Labour Officer or District Labour Officer for the area. Conciliation there is free and is often enough; Kerala also accepts complaints through the Labour Commissionerate portal.
- If conciliation fails, raise an industrial dispute before the Labour Court, or file a claim under the wages legislation.
- For provident fund or ESI dues, complain to the EPFO (epfigms.gov.in) or the ESIC.
- Free legal aid is available from the District Legal Services Authority.
What to expect
A notice to both sides and a conciliation meeting within weeks. Keep every receipt and acknowledgement; the paper trail decides the case.
Keep ready
Appointment or offer letter, salary slips, bank statements showing past salary credits, the last communication from the employer, and the names of colleagues who can confirm the work.
This guide is legal information, not legal advice, and reading it creates no advocate–client relationship. Laws change and every case turns on its own facts. For anything serious, consult an advocate — and if you cannot afford one, the District Legal Services Authority will give you a lawyer free of cost.
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