Infosys, a leading Information Technology (IT) company in India, has recently come under scrutiny for its handling of employee layoffs, particularly in light of allegations involving unethical practices to reduce workforce numbers.
The allegations include forced signing of Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDAs) by employees who were terminated, and other accusations stating that a few trainees were deliberately failed in an assessment as a part of a scheme to reduce the workforce strength.
To address this ongoing row, and the rising concerns about the exploitation of the IT workers, the The IT and ITES Democratic Employees Association (IIDEA) intends to emerge as a newly formed labour union in the state of Karnataka.
As per a circular, the association is inviting workers from the IT, ITES, and tech industries to a meeting this Saturday, February 22, at the AICCTU state office in Bengaluru, to discuss plans for improving working conditions.
The group aims to represent the IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) workers, advocating for better labour rights, fair treatment, and more transparency within this sector.
EdexLive spoke to Avani Chokshi, a spokesperson from the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) Karnataka state committee, and a lawyer, who further shed light on the genesis of the organisation.
"IIDEA is affiliated with the AICCTU, which is one of the nine centrally recognised trade unions in India. The formation of IIDEA in Karnataka comes with a broader plan to address the systemic issues that are currently affecting the IT workers in the state, and the non-compliance and flagrant violation of the labour laws," said the AICCTU spokesperson.
The union seeks to challenge the widespread belief that these IT workers are exempted from labour protection laws that are applicable to employees in other industries.
"These people offer their technical work, yet the management at these IT companies say that they do not qualify as workers and hence do not come under the jurisdiction of the law," highlighted Avani.
Shedding light on the existing labour protection laws such as the Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act of 1946, which requires private establishments to inform workers about the terms and conditions of employment, she claims that the Karnataka state government has exempted the entire IT sector from this law.
Another significant issue addressed by IIDEA is the treatment of layoffs in the IT sector. The AICCTU member pointed out that IT companies often claim that technical workers do not qualify as "workers" under the act, thus denying them the protection that other employees in different sectors enjoy.
On the exploitation of such workers, she also sheds light on how the IT sector makes use of arbitrary layoffs, including those based on false performance metrics, to reduce labour costs, and avoid paying employees their due wages.
On how the organisation would mobilise the workforce, she commented that "While a few IT professionals are well-paid, there is a large section of the workforce that remains underpaid and treated unfairly. IIDEA seeks to organise these workers, ensure they understand their rights, and empower them to demand better treatment from their employers, shunning the 'hire and fire' regime."
While legal action is a way to address such unethical practices, the spokesperson said that the primary strength of a labour union lies in uniting workers, raising awareness about their rights, and providing them with the support needed to challenge unfair practices.
