CPI(M) claims TCS sacking staff; govt says will look into it

NEW DELHI: The reported move to terminate the services of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd employees found its echo in Rajya Sabha today with CPI(M) alleging that aged staffers were being sacked and new ones being hired at lower salaries.

Demanding the intervention of the government, K N Balagopal (CPI-M) claimed thousands of employees have been thrown out in the TCS and it seemed there was no grievance redressal mechanism for them in the IT sector.

"Employees face a bleak future. This is not only in TCS. This is not only in IT," he said adding that this was being done by "all new-generation employers".

Responding to the Opposition concerns, Law Minister Sadananda Gowda promised to look into the issue.

Balagopal said even after the District Labour Office of Tiruchi issued a notice to the company on the matter, no one from TCS appeared.

Noting that such termination is "highly inhuman and illegal", he said the government should evolve proper mechanism to address the new generation employers.

His party colleague P Rajeeve said, "this is a new trend. They terminate people with ten-year experience and recruit new ones in their place to pay low salary."

Another CPI-M leader Tapan Kumar Sen said this was happening in TCS even as the company earned the highest growth among all IT companies.

"This kind of retrenchment is happening on a 'last come, first go' basis... Do not promote these things in the name of promoting ease of business," Sen said seeking the government's intervention into the matter.

As members raised concerns, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien asked "are these companies exempt" from rules and shared the concern of the members.

At this, Law Minister Gowda said,"I have taken note of it. I will look into it."