FITE takes up the fight against the fraudulent activities of 7 Elevan Arthasasthira Technologies and Troy Infotech, Chennai

FITE takes up the fight against the fraudulent activities of 7 Elevan Arthasasthira Technologies and Troy Infotech, Chennai

Two women employees have reported several issues on 7 eleven Arthasasthira Technologies a small company, located at Velachery to FITE Tamilnadu a month back.

Troy Infotech is a training institute located at Pallavaram. It offers several courses on software technologies. Also behind the screen, they lure the final year students or youngsters who are deliberately searching for jobs to get a good IT Job if they could pay Rs.50,000. One of the woman employee was a final year BE stud from rural background near Chennai was seriously searching for job. So, she paid Rs.50,000 to Troy Infotech. She also separately paid the amount for the course she had taken up there. After few months training, she was offered a job in 7 Elevan Arthasasthira Technologies, Velachery. To her shock, she came to know that the manager of Troy InfoTech Sailaja and managing director of 7 Elevan Manishankar are partners of the company.

Initially it was said she will be in training period for few months and then work on projects. But she was not given any training and directly put into the project. She was not even given the offer letter by 7 Elevan. The receipt of Rs.50,000 was given as ‘Consultancy Charges’. Also, she was forcefully made to sign in Rs.75,000 job bond. Everything happened in the name of giving job.  As most of the youngsters who search for jobs in IT industry, she accepted all these to get experience as a fresher, she did not get her salaries properly. She has around Rs. 40,000 pending salary.

Another woman employee has a similar story. She is little experienced. She joined in 7 Elevan as developer. She was given offer letter. She was assured to get Rs.8000 salary for two months training period and after that will receive Rs.15,000. She was forcefully made to sign Rs.75,000. Her +12 mark sheet is confiscated. She had to fight every month to get salary. Still she has Rs.20,000 pending salary. She is married woman. She also comes from 2 tier city from Tamilnadu.

Both of the employees were not allowed to take casual leaves which workers are entitled to get as per labor laws. Whenever leave was taken, one day salary was cut or sometimes 4-5 days marked as absent in the company registers. No pay slips were given. These women employees had migrated to Chennai seeking employment after overcoming many hurdles from their family and stayed in hostels. They had to undergo serious mental stress due to these problems they faced.

In addition to this, both of the women were also sexually harassed by the team lead Vishwanath. He has shown the youtube link of women dancing videos and asked them to dance like that. When the final year student cum employee resisted his inappropriate behavior, he threatened her saying that he will rate her poor performer. When she was not bothered about it, he insulted and tried to attack with his shoe. Though all these were immediately reported to the MD Manishankar. He did not take any serious action against this. When the team lead Vishwanath misbehaved, she left her in panic 2 signed blank cheques and resumes etc., MD had took the blank cheques and threatening the employee. These blank cheques were signed by her father to meet her hostel expenses. Her father got a loan  of Rs.50,000 to pay for the job offer. He is paying the interest now. He is small farmer near Chennai. He spent so much money to make her daughter an engineering graduate hoping that she will get good job and stand on her own leg. Now all his dreams are shattered.

Another married women reported the misbehavior of the team lead to her husband and husband called and warned him. Team lead also sought apology.  But again the MD Mani Shankar did not take any action against. When the married woman employee wanted to quit the company, she was badly treated by Mani Shankar. They have asked to pay her Rs.75,000 bond amount or divorce her husband and work for the company. All these comes under sexual harassment at workplace. This shows that IT Employee is not aware of the Sexual Harassment on Women at Workplace (Prevention,Prohibition,Redressal) Act,2013 and she can report this to the Local Complaints Committee of Chennai District to take action against the team lead and Mani shankar. Employer is least bothered to follow any labor laws of this country !

Another woman employee also reported that she had paid Rs.50,000 in the name of getting job. But after joining the company, within few days, she left the job as she conceived a baby. As she is in maternity period now, she could not come in person and take legal actions.

Both of the women employees of 7 Elevan has quit the company now. Along with affected workers, Parimala, Forum for IT Employees (FITE),Tamilnadu, President met the MD Mani Shankar on 20.12.2018 at the office premises Velachery. MD refused to talk to the union and said he will take of everything legally. We also said we will challenge him legally.

We then went to J7, Velachery police station to file criminal complaint against the 7 Elevan Technologies MD Mani Shankar. To our shock, there are few cases against Mani Shankar in this police station. It seems Velachery police station knows well about the company and its fraudulent activities but no serious action taken against the company yet except calling them for inquiry and try to get whatever the management is willing to settle down.

On 20.12.2018, We have given complaint to the Inspector of Police, Velachery to recover

Rs. 50,000 given for job offer

Job Bond papers of Rs.75,000

+12 mark sheet, 2 blank cheques

We have also given complaint to Joint Commissioner of Labor, Teynampet to recover the above mentioned ones as well as

Pending Salary around Rs.60,000

Take serious action against the companies 7 Elevan and Troy Infotech for violating all the labor laws.

This is the pathetic scenario of our country where lakhs and lakhs of engineering graduates coming out of colleges every year. But there is no quality jobs for the young graduates in the job market. These job seeking young people were lured by fraudulent companies like 7 Elevan and Troy Infotech and confiscate their certificates, threaten them with bonds signed,denied their salary and other benefits entitled  etc., by violating all the labor laws

FITE is determined to fight against these fraudulent companies and safeguard the rights of IT workers

 

Parimala

President

Forum for IT Employees(FITE) – Tamilnadu

9840713315, mail to : fiteorganization@gmail.com