Shortly after being abruptly released from a U.S.-based project and ‘benched,’ a 35-year-old mid-level engineer with a software giant on an IT campus in Kerala was summoned for a one-on-one discussion with the HR team a couple of days before Thiruvonam.

With the company having activated a ‘benching policy’ – under which employees could not remain unallocated to a project for more than 35 days, citing advancement of artificial intelligence – it was a clear red flag, and so it proved. He was informed that he was on a ‘fluidity list’ of dispensable employees.

“I wasn’t told on what grounds I was included on the list, except that my name was recommended by my project head, which turned out to be false. A second round of discussion followed shortly after Thiruvonam, when I was given no option other than to resign on ‘mutual grounds,’ though there was nothing mutual about the entire process. My resignation was made to appear voluntary, and I was relieved with just six months’ gross salary. Since I had less than five years of service and I wasn’t eligible for other benefits such as gratuity. The entire process took just a week,” said the IT professional, who is now actively attending interviews in search of a new job.

Strong objections

IT employees’ collectives have raised strong objections to what they describe as coercive implementation of the ‘pink slip culture.’

“The arbitrary benching and rating systems, and the pressure on team leaders to meet lay-off targets, must end. Companies should establish internal committees with representatives from both management and employees for performance evaluation. They should also provide upskilling opportunities to enable possible redeployment,” said Aneesh Panthalani, president of Progressive Techies, which is engaging with authorities, including the Labour Commissioner, to address the issue.

INTUC State president R. Chandrasekharan lamented how successive LDF and UDF governments have “obstructed” the unionisation of IT professionals and condoned “human rights violations under the guise of attracting investments.”

“Even global institutions such as International Labour Organisation (ILO) have limited influence in such cases, based on my experience serving on the governing body of ILO. Every attempt to form unions of IT professionals — even in a piecemeal manner since I became president in 2007 – has been defeated. Trade unions are quite helpless in championing the cause of IT professionals,” said Mr. Chandrasekharan.

INTUC, he said, would organise a trade union symposium in Kochi on the impact of modern technology on labour.

Prathidhwani, a welfare organisation for IT employees, has formed a community of laid-off technology professionals and is helping them land new jobs at the earliest.

“We are assisting them with upskilling, leveraging the expertise of our members who also mentor them. At the same time, we are petitioning the Central and State governments to take action against such arbitrary retrenchment by IT companies,” said N.G. Madhavan, convener of a technical forum within the collective of IT professionals under Prathidhwani.