TCS Faces Union Talks and Protests Over Alleged 20,000 Job Cuts in Indian IT Sector

The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) management participated in a conciliation meeting on Wednesday in Bengaluru, following claims of widespread employee terminations at the IT company.

KITU presented affidavits from employees who allegedly faced victimization and requested action against TCS management for violating Section 33 of the Industrial Disputes Act, which disallows service condition alterations during ongoing proceedings.

Additional Labour Commissioner G Manjunath chaired the meeting as the conciliation officer. TCS was represented by Boban Varghese Thomas, general manager of human resources, while KITU's representation included general secretary Suhas Adiga, president VJK Nair, and secretary Sooraj Nidiyanga.

The next round of discussions has been scheduled by the Labour Department for November 5.

Earlier on Monday, the IT & ITES Democratic Employees Association (IIDEA) organized a demonstration outside TCS's Whitefield campus in Bengaluru, protesting the dismissal of approximately 20,000 employees, primarily mid- and senior-level professionals.

Demonstrators claimed TCS implemented an "exploitative deployment policy" requiring 225 billable days annually from employees, while neglecting work-life balance and job security concerns. They also highlighted issues regarding delayed onboarding for over 500 professionals who received offers months ago but haven't started working yet.

IIDEA characterized TCS's approach as "devaluation of its workforce," suggesting the company prioritizes profits and investor appeal over employee wellbeing.

Both KITU and IIDEA have called for government intervention to enforce labour laws in the IT/ITeS sector, stop unlawful terminations, and ensure fair treatment, severance benefits, and reskilling opportunities for affected employees.