IT employees campaign against layoffs

“We distributed around 500 to 750 pamphlets per day, both at Siruseri and Thoraipakkam, informing the employees on the various options open to them,” explained  Sathiesh Mohanakrishnan, Joint Secretary of Forum for IT Employees (FITE). “There was a sense of victimisation among the employees we spoke to. They said that the appraisal systems were not transparent. Many opened up about their problems,” said the activist, who had been fighting against employee-layoffs over the past few years.

Sathiesh pointed out that while legal recourse is an option for employees who feel they have been wrongly sacked, the other is to come together as a trade union to demand their rights. “IT employees are workmen too and should have similar rights. We want to organise the employees under a trade union banner, show our numbers and go for a collective bargain,” added the IT employee. 

Twenty-five-year-old Iniyavan Mathiyalagan, an IT employee with a top firm, said many people approached them. 

“People who were affected came and spoke to us. But we had many people who were also unresponsive. It was not only middle management but also freshers, who were worried about their future,” said the youngster. Despite the job insecurity, there was a feeling of fear, said Deepan Kumar, another IT employee, who is a part of FITE’s Working Committee. “Many IT employees were worried about being vocal against the job threat, as they felt they were being monitored on social media. People are opening up personally but not in open forums,” concluded the 23-year-old.