Chennai IT Employees’ Union Protests Against Mass Layoffs at TCS

According to a New Indian Express story, the Union of IT & ITES Employees (UNITE) protested Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on 19 August in a number of Indian cities, claiming that almost 30,000 workers may be impacted by current layoffs. TCS, however, has denied the allegation, stating that the cut will only affect around 12,000 jobs, or 2% of its global workforce.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) provided backing for the protests, according to the New Indian Express article. UNITE officials cautioned that the true number of layoffs may be more than reported and called for the government to step in and force TCS to reverse its decision.

Skilled Employees Also Impacted, Say Workers

UNITE Joint Secretary Chandra Shekar Azad told The Hindu Business Line that experience has been the only thing that those impacted have in common thus far. He went on to say that teams were becoming uncertain, as even workers with demonstrated abilities and leadership credentials were being let go.

Alangunambi Welkin, the general secretary of UNITE, told the publication that if authorities do not intervene, the union, which has roughly 300 members, including 50–60 from TCS, intends to expand its fight internationally by working with international trade groups.

Concerns regarding deficiencies at TCS's Siruseri campus were also voiced by a few union members. They said that workers were forced to rely on other equipment since they had restricted access to the required upskilling tools on their own devices. These assertions have not been confirmed.

TCS Denies Large-Scale Job Cuts

TCS called the union's claims "inaccurate and misleading" in a statement to Business Line. According to the corporation, changes to the workforce would only affect 2% of its workers. TCS is one of the biggest employers in the private sector in India, employing about 600,000 people worldwide. With an emphasis on cloud, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation, TCS stated that the reorganisation aims to create a "future-ready organisation".

Labour Authorities Step In Under Industrial Disputes Act

The business also stated that impacted workers will receive transition assistance and severance pay. According to a previous ET story, executives from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) informed Karnataka's labour regulators that they are unsure of the exact number of workers who will be let go in various locations. The business will respond to an IT union's complaint alleging infringement of labour laws.

HR executives Mahesh GK, assistant manager, and Boban Varghese Thomas, general manager of HR, represented TCS at the meeting earlier this month. They met with representatives of the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU), which had brought up the complaint, as well as officials from the Karnataka labour department.

A list of grievances from impacted employees was requested by labour authorities from the union. It is necessary to address the impacted employees' basic concerns. G Manjunath, Additional Labour Commissioner (Industrial Relations), presided over the conciliation. In accordance with the 1947 Industrial Disputes Act, the matter is being examined.