Mohali, Mar 25 (KNN) Mohali Industries Association (MIA) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to help employers and employees amid COVID-19 outbreak.

''I request to Prime Minister that ESIC should help the employees and employers by giving 50 per cent salaries to the employees, who are contributing to ESIC since last 70 years for non-working days,'' Jasbir Singh, Chairman labour laws committee, MIA, told KNN India. 

He further asserted that ESIC has a huge fund which is collected from the workers and employers for medical benefits to the workers adding that ''as per the act, in case of sickness, ESIC should pay 50 per cent salaries to the affected workers.''

''Since, ESIC has a huge fund with them, they should use it now to help workers, employers and the nation,'' he added.

So far, India has reported 482 cases of the coronavirus following which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has imposed a nationwide lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.