Some of those who lost their jobs, some who are ‘on the bench’, and others perturbed by the gloom surrounding the IT-ITeS sector gathered to protest what they called ‘mass layoffs’ in the industry here on Saturday under the newly-formed Information Technology Employees Union (ITEU).
Kumara Swamy A.C., president, ITEU, said the protest was against illegal layoffs, unilateral terminations and harassment meted out to those working in the sector. “People have sold land to be able to afford engineering seats. They join work when they are 21-years-old. If they are thrown out at 35 years of age, where can they go? They will not get a job anywhere else. All we are asking is for the government to intervene and make these companies aware that we have labour laws which are applicable to them as well,” he said. He added that what was happening now should be seen as a warning to those planning to join the industry.
Shiva (name changed), a software engineer, said his job was secure now, but this could change at any time. “The discourse has changed in every chat group, from job offers to job loss,” he said.
Those not so lucky are a harried lot.
“I was made to come from Pune to Bengaluru in 2016 for a project. Then suddenly they started saying I am not performing well and put me on the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). This month, I got an email from the company asking me to resign. They have stated August 11 as my last working day. I earn a little over ₹40,000 in my sixth year at the company, have few savings, and am the only working member of my family. I have decided to fight it out,” said Neeraj (name changed), who works for a major IT firm.
Kinds of harassment
Some other employees spoke of tactics companies employ when they cannot directly fire people. “I am in a managerial job and have 17 years of experience. First, they tried giving me work that was not related to my area of expertise. Next, they said I was not performing well. They put me on PIP and then on the bench. I have offered to resign, but on the condition that I am allowed to complete the three-month notice period and get paid for those three months. However, they are not willing to pay me,” said Ajay (name changed). The job search is the other worrying area, he added.
“Companies are interviewing us, but not giving us an offer letter. This is because they would rather hire a fresher for a lower pay package than people with experience who demand huge pay cheques,” Mr. Neeraj said.
Mr. Ajay added, “I am even willing to take a pay cut and shift to a new industry. However, at my age it is difficult to find jobs. I have got offers from Gurugram, but I will have to shift my entire family – the children’s school too – and I don’t know if this is worth the trouble.”
