TCS layoffs: IT giant denies claims of ‘forcing’ 2,500 Pune employees to resign, calls allegations ‘mischievous’

TCS layoffs: Months after India's largest IT firm, Tata Consultancy Services announced nearly 12,000 job cuts, IT employees union NITES has accused the IT major of pressurising around 2,500 employees in Pune to resign, PTI reported, citing a letter from the union to the Maharashtra Chief Minister on Wednesday.

However, the IT giant has denied these claims, stating that the recent move to “realign skills in our organisation” has impacted only a limited number of employees.

What did TCS say?

“The misinformation shared here is inaccurate and purposefully mischievous. Only a limited number of employees have been affected by our recent initiative to realign skills in our organisation,” TCS told PTI.

It further said, “Those who have been affected have been provided due care and severance, as is due to them in each of the individual circumstances.”

What does NITES claim?

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) President Harpreet Singh Saluja had written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and requested prompt action to safeguard the interests of employees impacted by the layoffs.

"In Pune alone, nearly 2,500 employees have been forced to resign or have been abruptly removed in recent weeks," the report quoted NITES.

The body representing IT employees states that TCS has failed to provide statutory retrenchment compensation to its staff, and employees are being forced into "voluntary resignations" through fear and pressure.

TCS had earlier announced its plans to reduce its global workforce by 2 per cent, or 12,261 employees this year, which will mostly impact employees in middle and senior grades, according to multiple media reports.

NITES claimed that TCS's terminations are clearly violating the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, since no notice was given to the government.

The IT union emphasised that the affected employees are more than just numbers; they are mothers and fathers, breadwinners, caregivers, and the backbone of countless households throughout Maharashtra.

"Many of those affected are mid- to senior-level professionals who have given 10-20 years of dedicated service to the company. A large number are over 40 years of age, burdened with EMIs, school fees, medical expenses, and responsibilities towards ageing parents. For them, finding alternative employment in today’s competitive market is almost impossible," NITES was quoted as saying.

(With inputs from agencies.)