Mumbai, Friday, August 20, 2010: At least two and half lakh Medical Representatives (MRs) all over the country are planning to go on a two-day strike from tomorrow to protest the attitude of Central and State governments and Pharmaceutical employers towards job security.

The Federation of the Medical and Sales Representatives Association (FMRAI), the national union of the MRs, has called the strike in context of the various malpractices against the Medical and sales Representatives.

FMRAI, Joint General Secretary, K B Kadam said ''We are made to work for 16-18 hours a day, which is utter exploitation of the various labour laws''.

Mr Kadam said that the pharmaceutical companies are using them as bonded labour and are hence voilating several laws such as the Industrial Disputes Act, The Sales Promotion Employees Act and the Trade Union Act. ''We want the state government to properly execute Minimum Wages Act and provide us job security''.

Mr Kadam added that employers give them sales targets, which is not in our domain. We just have to promote the medicinal products to the doctors. This is mainly happening due to the cut-throat competition in the pharmaceutical industry especially after the entrance of the Multinational Companies (MNCs) into the Indian Pharma Market.

Ref: UNI