Hyderabad, May 02: In August, 2009, when 27-year-old V Manisha, collapsed at work due to giddiness, her employer was prompt to hospitalize her, but soon after regaining consciousness, she had to report to work.
In 2007, when Sam Jose applied for a one year leave to pursue further education, his employer gave necessary approvals, but axed him citing poor performance without his knowledge! In October, 2005, when 57-year-old J S R Prasad volunteered to spearhead UNITES forum, the only trade union representing IT & ITES sector in Hyderbad, his working conditions were ‘altered,’ forcing him to quit.
These are not isolated cases, but issues faced by 2.3 million employees hired by the IT & ITES sector — the poster boy of India Inc.
Though the sector is one of the largest employers, for it May Day is meaningless and formation of unions remains elusive. “Employers want power neutralization and strongly oppose unions. Agreed, they offer conducive working environment, but that’s not enough.
Several issues, be it promotion or differential treatment by co-workers on caste and community basis can occur. Who will employees turn to when in need?” Karthik Shekhar, General Secretary, UNITES forum questions.
He says employees, instead of fighting for their own cause, live with the prevailing conditions or move out in search of greener pastures.
UNITES was formed in 2005 and currently has over 22,000 registered members. It has presence in all the major cities including Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
“Working hours are being stretched and work pressure is going up. It’s high time we have a platform that can fight for our rights and give some relief,” says Saumendu (name changed), a team leader working for one of the big four IT giants in the country.
Adds BPO employee Madhu Gupta, “Companies don’t want to talk anything negative.
Periodically, they talk about innovative HR practices, but have they ever publicised 10 or 100 top most concerns faced by employees? The hype and fanfare attached to the so-called big brands, sometimes seems inflated.” But employers seem averse to the very idea of unions. “We interact with employees across all levels. I don’t see the need for a union. Anyone can contact the CEO directly,” said HR head of a city-based IT services company.
–Agencies