labour-ministry-asks-k-taka-govt-to-probe-infosys-layoffs

The Union Labour Ministry has directed the Karnataka Labour Department to take urgent action over the recent mass layoffs by Infosys. This follows a complaint from the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), an independent union for tech workers.

 

The union argued that over 700 freshers were affected, not just the 300 admitted by Infosys. These employees had undergone months of foundational training at Infosys’ Mysuru campus before being let go.

 

In its complaint, NITES stated that Infosys had terminated the recently onboarded campus recruits. These workers had already faced significant delays of up to two years in joining the company, after being issued offer letters. NITES accused the company of forcibly making freshers sign "mutual separation" agreements, a practice that had been previously reported.

 

The union demanded that the Labour Ministry intervene, calling for an investigation into the issue. NITES also requested a restraining order to prevent further terminations and sought the reinstatement of all the affected employees. They also called for penal action against Infosys, alleging that the company had violated the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and other relevant labour laws.

 

Following the complaint, the Union Labour Ministry directed the Karnataka state authorities to take immediate action.

 

Officials from the Karnataka Labour Department visited Infosys’ campuses in Bengaluru and Mysuru to investigate the situation.

 

Infosys, however, has denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for the company stated that no one had been “forcefully terminated.” The company explained that freshers, after completing their training, must pass internal assessments within three attempts. If they fail to do so, they are not allowed to continue with the company. Infosys claimed that this policy had been in place for over 20 years.

 

Despite the company’s explanation, some former employees, who were affected by the recent layoffs, countered that this was the first time Infosys had terminated such a large number of recruits. They warned that future batches might face similar layoffs under the same circumstances.