Karnataka: Ministers to meet IT employees' association to look into layoffs

The Karnataka government has assured members of a united front of IT employees associations to look into their problems, including layoffs.

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge has informed All India IT Employees Association he will meet them 'soon' to discuss the issues.

"We are here to listen to them and will do all possible to help them," he said, answering to PTI query on the matter.

The minister had earlier asked the affected IT employees to lodge a complaint with the labour department.

In an interview with PTI recently, he had also said the government will look into the matter and provide legal assistance if the affected or laid off employees approach it like their counterparts in Tamil Nadu.

AIITEA President Syed Muqueemuddin had shot off an email to Kharge yesterday seeking an urgent meeting to urge the government to take appropriate corrective actions and brief him on the current situation, including layoffs.

"We seek your earliest availability for a meeting to brief you on the current situation so that the government can take appropriate corrective actions as may be required," Muqueemuddin said.

Muqueemuddin has been in touch with various associations to organise a united front to hold talks with the government to resolve their problems.

After petitioning Telagana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu governments, FITE is in the process of approaching the labour commission in Bengaluru to submit a petition to stop the alleged "illegal terminations" happening at Cognizant.

Muqueemuddin said the united front will urge the government to hold an open house discussion by inviting all the stakeholders, including IT captains and employees. "This will give government a sense about the problems faced by IT companies and employees in the presence of IT captains and management of companies," he added.

He sought intervention to correct the way performance appraisal terminations are used to disguise large scale layoffs thereby scarring an employee morale forever.

He also said, "While not everything is bad with this industry, the absence of appropriate regulations and watchdogs in the form of unions or associations has led to a situation that unscrupulous elements continue to cause severe and irreparable damage to the very same industry that contributes significantly to the GDP of our country".