Press Release : NDLF to File Grievance Petition with Labour Department on Layoff Issue

Statement released to the press at the press conference held on May 17, 2017 at Chennai Press Club

Dear Sirs,

Subject : NDLF Mass Campaign against Layoffs in Wipro, Cognizant (CTS), Tech Mahindra, IBM and other IT/ITES companies.

In the past 2 months, mass layoffs in IT companies were reported in the media. NDLF IT Employees Wing also received complaints from hundreds of employees of Wipro, Cognizant and other companies about resignations forced on them by company management.

Employees were given low rating in the appraisal system which is arbitrary, denied work based on that reason, threatened by HR managers and forced to resign their jobs. However, the companies claim in the media that there are no mass layoffs, but only some employees leaving employment on their own.

NDLF IT Employees Wing opposes this illegal practice by IT companies. On May 16th Tuesday, we led a delegation of IT employees to meet the Secretary, Department of Labour and Employment, Government of Tamil Nadu to submit a representation. The state has provided concessions in the form of subsidized land, electricity and tax holiday to IT companies claiming they bring in employment opportunities. Hence, we demanded that the government should immediately intervene in this matter.

We are in the process of filing grievance petitions on behalf of affected employees with labour department.

Opposing the illegal mass layoffs by IT companies and calling upon IT employees to unionize NDLF IT Employees Wing is holding a demonstration tomorrow (May 18, 2017) from 5 pm to 7 pm near Sholinganallur Signal, OMR, Chennai

We request the media to cover these events against illegal layoffs.

Best Regards,

S Karpaga Vinayagam,
Organizer,
New Democratic Labour Front, IT Employees Wing,
Tamil Nadu

Chennai
May 17, 2017