The Young Tamil Nadu Movement (YTM) organized a meeting mainly to discuss the TCS employees who were facing termination now, in Bengaluru. Employees of TCS, as well as from other IT companies who understood the need for being together, joined the meeting and discussed on what is actually happening inside TCS and what can be done to challenge the TCS’ decision if an employee is being terminated.
YTM, after meeting with the employees of TCS, has launched a forum to speak for IT/ITES employees’ rights as “Forum for IT Employees” on 29th December 2014. It was introduced to the team gathered and started the discussion explaining what is known on TCS “restructuring” activity. The group also discussed about the desperate calls received from TCS employees whose livelihood is only this job, and also about their helpless situation. TCS employees who were gathered told that they are purposefully being eliminated from being placed in a project and that they need to get approvals from supervisors and resource managers in order to get placed in a project.
They also claimed that those who got C band (average rating in the performance appraisal) in the appraisal got eliminated, whereas some who are having below that band were able to get projects, where TCS claims it as performance based restructuring activity. They also said that the performance appraisal is not a fair process, and questioned why the company personnel (HR or Manager) didn’t contact the employees till now if their performance was not good.
The company had even terminated the employees who had got good rating in the earlier appraisals. Those who were there in the projects, either at offshore or at on-site, were also been released from the projects and are given termination notice. They also added that the employees are not being compensated as per the norms, and it is not ethical in any way.
When YTM members discussed with the Labour Department, they told that the employees who were terminated can file a case legally. Few employees who contacted through “We are Against TCS Layoff” Facebook page told that they are ready to fight the company and are working on it.
It was evident that this “restructuring” activity is not limited to TCS, but will happen in other IT companies as well, from the report provided by McKinsey (a multinational management consulting firm. It conducts qualitative and quantitative analysis in order to evaluate management decisions).
The action items from the meeting are:
The IT employees who gathered in the meeting, working for different companies, agreed to take the Forum for IT Employees (FITE) to wider audience especially, IT/ITES employees across Karnataka.
e-petition launched by FITE, during the press meet in Chennai, seeking government intervention to stop TCS layoff would be signed by the members and will be taken to all IT employees.
FITE will set up a meeting with the Labour Department so that the group of employees will meet the commissioner and explain the issues in person. (FITE)
Kathiravan,
Forum for IT Employees, Bengaluru
30 – December – 2014
