Layoffs: Techies turn to trade union

Monday, 17 November 2008, 17:12 IST   |    11 Comments
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Layoffs: Techies turn to trade union
New Delhi: The software industry is willing to talk to the sector's trade union on layoffs and other work-related issues, a top official of the industry's representative body said. "If you want to talk to me why should I refuse simply because the colour of your shirt is red or green or whatever," Raju Bhatnagar, vice president for business process outsourcing (BPO) and government relations at the National Association of Software Companies (Nasscom) told IANS. Nasscom will be meeting the Union for Information and Technology-enabled Services (Unites) has enlisted the help of the Switzerland-based Union Network International (UNI). "Yes, we will be meeting union officials but date is not confirmed," Bhatnagar said. "It is incorrect to say that Nasscom has a fiat against IT professionals engaging in trade unionism because forming unions is a right enshrined in the Constitution," he said. Likening it to gagging people despite the right to the freedom of speech, Bhatnagar added: "How can we do that?" But while he said no meeting date has been finalised, Unites said the global union would meet Nasscom Dec 5. "UNI general secretary Philip Jennings has deputed Philip Bowyer, deputy general secretary to visit India and he will be meeting Nasscom officials on Dec 5," Unites general secretary R. Karthik Shekhar told IANS. Unites is one of several Indian affiliates of UNI that is spread out across four regions - America, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe. "The Geneva-based UNI represents 13 sectors, has 15 million members and is present in 130 countries," UNI's Development and Organisation Centre's (UNIDOC) Delhi office director Anjali Sinha told IANS.
Source: IANS