TCS resorting to shock tactics, deploying coercion, threats on employees: unions across the country

Tech workers’ unions across the country have strongly opposed Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS) reported use of pressure tactics to force employee resignations.

Many unions and affected employees are now awaiting TCS’s second-quarter results (July–September) on October 9 to gauge the extent of the job reductions over the past three months before deciding on further protest actions.

Representatives of the Union of IT and ITES Employees (UNITE) told The Hindu that TCS was employing “shock tactics” that pressure employees into adverse actions against themselves or the company’s human resources staff.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) stated that conciliation proceedings between TCS management and KITU are still in progress.

“TCS is resorting to shock tactics that push employees to take adverse actions against themselves or HRs. We strongly condemn this and demand that the State and Union governments enforce industrial standing orders and penalise the company heavily for its violations,’‘ said Alagunambi Welkin, General Secretary, at UNITE.

TCS’s claim that they provide financial benefits for the forced resignations was nothing but a tactic to hide the accusation that they are forcefully coercing employees in unprecedented numbers, Mr. Welkin added.

According to Sooraj Nidiyanga, General Secretary at KITU, conciliation proceedings between TCS Management and the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) are taking place in the presence of Additional Labour Commissioner G. Manjunath, following an industrial dispute filed by KITU against TCS on illegal terminations and forced resignations.

“On behalf of the victimised employees, KITU submitted evidence of forced resignations, including audio recordings of management pressuring employees to resign,’‘ Mr. Nidiyanga clarified when asked if representatives of the union met any of the TCS employees who were under pressure to resign.

Karnataka’s Labour Ministry, in association with KITU, is expected to hold another round of conciliation meeting on October 15.

Also, the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has accused TCS of forcing over 2,500 employees to resign in Pune alone. NITES has already complained to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the Labour Ministry, asking them to step in immediately.

“In the last few weeks, we’ve been getting hundreds of calls and emails from TCS employees, especially in Pune, who are being forced to resign. People tell us they’re called into closed rooms, threatened that if they don’t resign, they’ll be terminated, their full and final settlement won’t be paid, they won’t get relieving letters, and they’ll even be blacklisted in the industry,’‘ explained Adv. Harpreet Singh Saluja, president,NITES.

One could imagine the fear of many of these employees who have home loans, kids school fees, medical expenses. Some have given 10–15 years of service to the company and suddenly they’re left with nothing. Families were breaking down under this pressure, Mr. Saluja added.

“This isn’t a voluntary decision, it is purely coercion’‘ he further said.

When asked about 2,500 employees being laid off in Pune, TCS said, “The misinformation shared here is inaccurate and purposefully mischievous. Only a limited number of employees have been affected by our recent initiative to realign skills in our organisation.’‘

The country’s tech flagbearer also said, “Those who have been affected have been provided due care and severance, as is due to them in each of the individual circumstances.”