The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has filed a formal complaint against Infosys with the labour ministry, calling the mass layoffs of trainees illegal, unethical, and a violation of labour laws.
In a letter addressed to labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya, NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja stated, “It has come to our attention, through numerous complaints received from affected employees, that Infosys Ltd. has resorted to forcibly terminating recently onboarded campus recruits who had already suffered a delay of two years in their joining after being issued offer letters.”
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On Friday (February 7), Infosys asked for the resignation of around 700 trainees it had hired 2.5 years ago but onboarded last October. NITES has demanded strict penal action from the ministry for violating provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and called for an immediate investigation and a restraining order against Infosys to halt further terminations until due legal process is followed.
NITES also demanded the reinstatement of all terminated employees along with appropriate compensation for the wrongful termination. The Bengaluru-headquartered IT giant claimed the number to be under 350, calling it “mutual separation” and reasoned that the employees failed to clear three attempts in an internal assessment programme after undergoing extensive foundational training at their Mysuru campus.
“All freshers get three attempts to clear the assessment, failing which they will not be able to continue with the organization, as is also mentioned in their contract. This process has been in existence for over two decades and ensures a high quality of talent availability for our clients,” Infosys said in a statement to ET.
NITES has alleged that the company employed intimidation tactics during the termination process. “The company has deployed bouncers and security personnel to intimidate employees, ensuring that they cannot carry mobile phones and are left with no way to document the incident or seek help”.
NITES stated that Infosys’s actions set a dangerous precedent for the IT industry.