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Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has officially submitted a formal complaint to the Ministry of Labour and Employment against Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) following deeply troubling reports received from over seventy-eight employees across the country. These employees have raised serious concerns regarding the company’s newly enforced Bench Policy, which has created an atmosphere of fear, coercion, and immense psychological pressure within the organization. What is being presented publicly as a strategy for resource optimization is, in reality, a deeply flawed system that punishes employees for circumstances beyond their control and robs them of their dignity and stability.
Employees who are between projects, commonly referred to as being on the bench, are being pushed to chase allocations continuously, with little to no support from the company’s internal systems. Instead of treating bench time as an opportunity for reskilling, realignment, or recovery, TCS has converted it into a phase of uncertainty and harassment. Associates are being forced to engage with the Resource Management Group (RMG) even before their current projects end. They are expected to be fully available, report daily through timesheets, complete four to six hours of mandatory learning modules, and attend frequent check-ins, all while facing veiled threats of performance reviews and disciplinary action. The policy punishes unavailability and frames lack of allocation as a personal failure of the employee rather than a reflection of the company’s inability to manage workforce planning effectively.
NITES has received credible reports that many employees are being asked to resign if they fail to find a project within thirty-five days of being on the bench. Employees are being pressurised to take up roles outside their domain or core expertise, and if they refuse, they are told their employment will be terminated. In several shocking cases, Java developers have been forced into .NET roles, and employees have been asked to take on work they were neither trained nor hired for, only to be penalised if performance suffers. New joiners are not exempt from this harsh environment. Even they are expected to be deployed immediately, and if not, they must independently navigate the project allocation system without guidance or support. The policy has no provision for transitional periods or any acknowledgment of shifting business needs.
There is also deep resentment among employees regarding the continuous non-payment of variable pay, which has now stretched over four consecutive quarters. Despite fulfilling their responsibilities and working from the office full-time, many associates have not received compensation that was clearly committed to them in their employment contracts. At the same time, the company is offering large bonuses to new external hires, creating a painful divide between those who have stood by the company for years and those being brought in as replacements. Employees who remained loyal during uncertain market phases are now being overlooked, underpaid, and driven out, while outsiders are welcomed with lucrative incentives.
In an even more distressing development, some employees have reported being told to repay the salary earned while on the bench, on the grounds that they were not physically present in the office even though they were available online, attending calls, and contributing wherever required. Such demands are not only unfair but also unheard of in any ethical corporate practice. Moreover, those who have tried to raise concerns internally have faced threats that their experience letters will be withheld, essentially forcing them into silence.
This policy is not about empowering employees or strengthening the organization. It is about control, numbers, and optics. It places the burden of allocation on individuals, dismisses their efforts, and diminishes their self-worth. It fails to treat employees as human beings who deserve trust, respect, and stability. Instead, it fosters a culture where survival replaces growth and where silence is safer than speaking up. NITES strongly condemns these practices. The organization has urged the Ministry of Labour and Employment to take immediate notice of this situation and intervene to safeguard the interests of thousands of IT workers whose mental health, job security, and livelihoods are at risk.
At a time when India’s digital economy is being celebrated on global platforms, it is painful to witness how the very employees who build and support this industry are being subjected to such regressive treatment. NITES believes that every worker deserves to be treated with fairness and compassion. No one should be punished for circumstances outside their control. No one should be silenced when they speak out against injustice. The policies of any organization must reflect values that honour people over profits, ethics over efficiency, and integrity over image.

NITES remains committed to standing with the employees of TCS and every IT and ITeS worker across the country. If you are facing similar issues, we urge you to come forward. Your voice matters, and we are here to ensure it is heard.

Harpreet Singh Saluja
Advocate, Bombay High Court,
President,

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES)

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has urged the Ministry of Labour & Employment to investigate Infosys for repeatedly delaying the onboarding of over 2,000 campus recruits. These delays, ongoing for more than two years, have caused significant hardship for the affected graduates. Many graduates had accepted Infosys’s offer letters in good faith, turning down other opportunities. Now facing financial strain and uncertainty due to the lack of income and a clear onboarding timeline, these young professionals feel Infosys has broken their trust. NITES is calling for the Ministry’s intervention to ensure Infosys fulfills its obligations to these new hires. This includes:

Compensation: Full salary payments for the period during which onboarding has been delayed.

Employee Assistance: Immediate access to Infosys’s employee assistance program to address the mental and emotional strain caused by the delay.

Alternative Employment: If onboarding remains infeasible, Infosys must actively help these graduates find suitable alternative employment opportunities within the company.

The future careers and well-being of these young professionals are at stake. NITES urges the Ministry to take swift action to protect these employees and ensure they are not unfairly penalized for Infosys’s decision.

Dear friends,

On behalf of Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES – IT workers union, we would like to extend our warmest greetings to all of you on this International Labor Day. This day celebrates the hard work and achievements of workers around the world, and we want to recognize the valuable contributions that you make to the IT sector.

As IT professionals, we know that the work we do is critical to the success of modern businesses and organizations. We are the backbone of the digital age, and our skills and expertise are in high demand. However, we also know that our work can be challenging and demanding, and that it requires long hours and a high level of commitment.

That is why on this Labor Day, we want to take a moment to acknowledge your dedication and hard work. Your contributions to the IT industry are invaluable, and we are proud to stand alongside you as we work to improve working conditions and ensure fair treatment for all IT workers.

We hope that this Labor Day will be a time of rest and reflection for you, and that you will take pride in all that you have accomplished. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, and we wish you all a happy International Labor Day!

Sincerely,

Harpreet Singh Saluja,

President,

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES

Dear fellow workers,

We are writing to you today to express our solidarity and support for the freshers who have been left waiting for over a year to be onboarded by Wipro. As a union, we believe that every worker deserves fair treatment and timely onboarding, and we are deeply troubled by the actions of Wipro in this matter.

The delay in onboarding has caused immense stress and financial strain for these freshers, many of whom have been waiting for months on end with no clear end in sight. This is unacceptable, and it is a clear indication of the unethical practices that are rampant within Wipro.

We urge all workers to stand together in solidarity with these freshers and demand that Wipro take immediate action to resolve this situation. We call upon the company to provide these workers with fair compensation for the time they have spent waiting, and to ensure that they are onboarded in a timely and respectful manner.

As a union, we are committed to fighting for the rights of all workers, and we will not rest until justice is served for these freshers. We urge you to join us in this fight, and to stand together as a united front against the unethical practices of companies like Wipro.

In solidarity,

Harpreet Singh Saluja

President

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES has submitted a letter to the Ministry of Labour and Employment requesting immediate actions against delay in on boarding of more than 30000 students & employees. Wipro has recently claimed to remove 300 existing employees on the ground of Moonlighting & breach of ethics. But is this policy of company to use time & energy of employees for more than a year without paying any money ethical. Hence we have demanded prompt intervention and support of Government to safeguard welfare, rights and families of more than 30000 students & employees. IT companies like Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Capgemini & others should be held responsible for putting the careers of students and employees at risk. We have requested the Ministry of Labour and Employment to take appropriate actions. Trusting the IT organizations these students and employees have avoided other employment opportunities. The companies talk superficially about the ethics and values but in reality it is sheer crony capitalism. It’s a clear cheating on organizations part as it’s not just the students but their families who also suffer from false promises. The Government should take adequate measures to safeguard the life, future and career of these students & employees. NITES has been continuously counseling more than 2000 students and employees who are waiting on boarding. The IT companies have no mercy or humanity left and are responsible for the unfortunate incidents. The companies have harassed these students & employees to an extent where they are forced to take extreme steps. These companies have demotivated & jeopardized the life of the students and employees. They are struggling socially and financially because of unethical practices adopted by IT sector organizations. We condemn and hold IT firms responsible for the traumatic condition of the students and employees. Companies should apologies to these students & employees on a public platform for the cheating done with these students and employees.

Harpreet Singh Saluja

President

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES

It’s disappointing to hear the news that Wipro has fired around 300 employees in the name of Moonlighting. Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES condemns this unethical move of the organization. We have urged the employees to come forward & join us as we are gearing up for a legal battle against illegal clauses mentioned in the offer letter of IT sector employees. The clauses mentioned in the offer letters and employment contracts need to be reviewed legally by judiciary. The arbitrary termination of employees is unethical & illegal & NITES union will leave no stone unturned to provide justice to aggrieved employees.
Thanks
Harpreet Singh Saluja
President
Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES strongly condemns TCS decision to stop increments and appraisals of newly joined employees for one year. The company is unethically revising the policies related to employees remunerations without any consent from Labour & Employment Ministry. At the time of recruitment the company promises to pay definite salary to employees but later amend policies without even talking to employees which is no less than cheating. Mostly Tata group is appreciated & applauded for the philanthropy and corporate social activities but in reality at the ground level the Tata employees are being exploited for financial gains.

Harpreet Singh Saluja

President

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES

16 June 2022: Harpreet Singh Saluja President – Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate met Shri Jaideep Yadav ji Asst. Labour Commissioner (C) Karnal. We had an important discussion over various current & intricate issues pertaining to working conditions of the employees. Also enlightened by the valuable experiences shared by Sir regarding the measures being taken for welfare of employees. We are highly thankful towards Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India for supporting us and initiating strict measures to provide justice to aggrieved employees.

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate – NITES is working extensively for the welfare, benefits and rights of IT, ITES, BPO, KPO and their families. We have received multiple complaints from employees of Infosys Ltd. that the employer has unethically included a Non-compete agreement clause. The said clause is mentioned below:

In consideration of the above, I agree that for a period of six (6) months following the termination of my employment with Infosys for any reason, I will not:

a. accept any offer of employment from any Customer, where I had worked in a professional capacity with that Customer in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the termination of my employment with Infosys;

b. accept any offer of employment from a Named Competitor of Infosys, if my employment with such Named Competitor would involve me having to work with a Customer with whom I had worked in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the termination of my employment with Infosys.

The restriction contained in the Employment letter which is mentioned above is clearly in restraint of trade and therefore illegal under section 27 of the Contract Act. It is not seeking to enforce the negative covenant during the term of employment of the employee but after the termination of his service. If the agreement on the part of the employee puts a restraint even though partial, it is void, and, therefore, the contract must be treated as one which cannot be enforced. The clause of covenant being imposed is to operate after the termination of services & is too widely worded, & hence the company should be stopped from enforcing it. The employee’s covenants should be carefully scrutinized because there is inequality of bargaining power between the employer & employee, indeed no bargaining power may occur because the employee is presented with a standard form of employment contract to accept or reject. At the time of the employment agreement, the employee may have given little thought to the restriction because of his eagerness for a job hence the employment contract of the Infosys Ltd is “tempt improvident persons, for the sake of present gain, to deprive them of the power to make future acquisitions and expose them to imposition and oppression”. The contract of employment is likely to affect the employee’s means or procuring a livelihood for himself and his family. The restraint being put on employees is greater than necessary to protect the employer, is unduly harsh and oppressive to the employee. We have submitted an official complaint to the Labour Ministry and Ministry of Corporate Affairs for appropriate actions & issuing necessary orders to Infosys Ltd. for removing such illegal, unethical and arbitrary clause from the employment agreements.
Thanks
Harpreet Saluja
President
Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES

Payment of bonus is the statutory liability on the employer and receipt of bonus amount is the legal right of the employee and the amount to be paid, to whom to be paid and by when to be paid has been well framed in the Payment of Bonus Act. The employer cannot unethically amend the bonus scheme depriving bonus to its employees. The employees resigned from the service also are entitled to bonus for their tenure.We have received multiple complaints from employees across India that the employer HCL Technologies Limited has initiated a policy to recover bonus paid to the employees. If the employee fails to pay the amount his/her experience certificate, relieving letter and other employment documents & benefits are withheld by the company. The said policy implemented by the company to recover bonus already paid to its employees forcefully is iniquitous, arbitrary and harsh. Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES has submitted official complaint to PMO India, Ministry of Labour and Employment and Ministry of Corporate Affairs against HCL Technologies unlawful bonus recovery policy.

We are seeking prompt intervention & support of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Uddhav Thackeray ji, Hon’ble MP Smt Supriya Sule ji to issue necessary guidelines to the IT/ITeS/BPO/KPO companies in Maharashtra regarding salary restructure of Work from Home employees. The employers are now unethically tweaking the salary structure of employees who are working from home.As per this new salary structure the companies are reducing the House Rent Allowance HRA of the employees if they are working & residing in tier 2 or tier 3 cities. Change in HRA will have a direct impact on the income tax payment & in hand salary of employees. Also when employees are working from home they are bearing the additional expenses of infrastructure, internet & electricity bills. These expenses need to be added to the compensation of employees. Thanks Digital Prabhat for supporting the voice of IT Sector employees.

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate #NITES has submitted an official request to Hon’ble CMOMaharashtra Uddhav Thackeray ji & Hon’ble Labour Minister Hasan Mushrif ji for issuing compulsory Work from Home guidelines to IT/ITeS/BPO/KPO companies in Maharashtra.
Recently many IT companies across the Maharashtra state have started forcing employees to resume work from office (email copies attached). Nearly 40% of employees have started working from office. Keeping in mind the recent outbreak of Omnicron variant of COVID-19 pandemic many employees working in the IT Industry are facing a difficult situation and are working in fear. Under previous lockdowns also the IT Industry has performed well, while employees were working from home. In such testing times, the rights of the employees ought to be protected by necessary orders and directions to the IT/ITeS/BPO/KPO companies by the Hon’ble Maharashtra Government. Companies like Google in Europe, Middle East and Africa has already delayed mandatory return to office. IT companies in India should also act responsibly & give priority to the safety of employees and their families. Considering the recent increasing number of COVID patients in Maharashtra the employees shouldn’t be forced to resume offices by the companies & should be allowed to work from home.
Thanks
Harpreet Saluja
President
Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES

#Omicron #OmicronVariant #COVID19 #ITEmployees #informationtechnology #workfromhome#Tata #TataTechnologies #TCS #Accenture #Cognizant #Capgemini #Wipro #TechMahindra #Atos #Infosys #Hexaware

Republic Day honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India. The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles and the duties of citizens.
Articles 41–43 mandate the State to endeavour to secure to all citizens the right to work, a living wage, social security, maternity relief, and a decent standard of living. These provisions aim at establishing a socialist state as envisaged in the Preamble.
Our Ancestors sacrificed everything to set our country free not only from dictatorship but also laid a foundation for next generation to stand on their own feet. They stood together for a revolution. They Protested, Fought, Fasted, Shed their blood and Sacrificed their lives to set all of us free from Harassment, Injustice, Slavery and Domination.
That’s why they are called Freedom Fighters…
We are also following the steps of our reformers, standing together for a revolution to set our IT industry free from Harassment, Injustice, Slavery and Domination of Greedy and ungrateful Industrialists.
Be together, Stand together, Stay together…

Jai Hind

Harpreet Saluja
President
Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES

Date 12/12/2020
Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate NITES is working extensively for the welfare and rights of IT and ITES employees. Today we had a meeting with Hon’ble Member of Legislative Council Maharashtra Shri Gopichand ji Padalkar (BJP spokesperson) and apprised him regarding the problems and concerns of IT, ITES, BPO and KPO employees. Since lockdown NITES has raised the issue of more than 78000 employees with Chief Minister Office, Labour Minister, Labour Departments and District Magistrate against illegal terminations, layoffs and salary cuts of employees. But after rigorous followups also no justice was served to the employees. We are humbled that for more than 2 hours Shri Padalkar Sir has patiently heard & discussed various concerns faced by IT employees regarding layoffs, illegal terminations, blacklisting of employees, Denial of Maternity Benefits, Crèche facility, No Overtime and Shift allowances, denial of severance pay, deduction of leaves, No quarantine leaves, 90 days notice period etc. We are highly thankful to Shri Padalkar Sir as he has assured us that for the very first time the problems and concerns of more than 6 lakh IT Employees in Maharashtra will be raised for the first time ever in upcoming Legislative Session on 14th & 15th December 2020. Request all the IT and ITES employees to support and stand together in our campaign for #JusticeforEmployees. ??

During this critical period of #COVID19 pandemic when Central and State governments are trying to protect the employment and wages of the employees; various IT/ITeS/BPO/KPO companies and its management are in complete defiance of the mandatory legal provisions & have acted illegally by deducting salaries of employees who were #quarantined or affected by #CoronaVirus. Hence on behalf of employees Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate – NITES has requested for Government’s guidelines in order to ensure maximum containment of COVID-19 and the utmost safety of all employees.

National Information Technology Employees Senate – NITES strongly condemns illegal terminations of our fellows Union Leaders Mr. Vinoth Kaligai, General Secretary, All India Forum for IT Employees (AIFITE) & Mr. Shyam Sundar, ex office bearer NDLF IT Wing.

National Information Technology Employees Senate NITES working extensively for the rights of employees of IT companies has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, seeking intervention to save jobs of employees who have been laid-off or are facing pay cuts in the wake of COVID-19 crisis.

https://www.financialexpress.com/jobs/covid-19-crisis-it-employees-union-writes-to-cm-over-lay-offs/1972418/

कोरोना आणि लॉकडाऊनमुळे पुणे-मंुबईतील माहिती तंत्रज्ञान (आयटी) कंपन्यांमध्ये काम करणाऱ्या कर्मचाऱ्यांची पगार कपात आणि नोकरी गमवावी लागल्याची प्रकरणे घडली आहेत. नॅशनल इन्फर्मेशन टेक्नाॅलाॅजी एम्प्लॉइज सिनेटकडे ६८ हजार तक्रारी आल्या असल्याचे संघटनेचे सरचिटणीस हरप्रीत सलुजा यांनी सांगितले. यामुळेच आयटी कर्मचाऱ्यांनी ‘जस्टिस फॉर एम्प्लॉइज’ हे ऑनलाइन आंदोलन सुरू केले आहे.आठवड्यातील पाच दिवस काम, मोठ्या पगाराची नाेकरी, उच्चभ्रू राहणीमान, आंतरराष्ट्रीय कंपन्यांत काम करण्याची संधी यामुळे आयटी क्षेत्रातील नोकरीला प्रतिष्ठा मिळाली. परंतु, काेराेना आणि त्यापाठोपाठ झालेल्या लाॅकडाऊनचा आयटी क्षेत्रावर विपरीत परिणाम झाला आहे. महाराष्ट्रात सुमारे ६ लाख आयटी कर्मचारी असून त्यापैकी साडेतीन ते चार लाख कर्मचारी पुणे परिसरातील विविध आयटी कंपनी, बीपीआे (काॅल सेंटर), केपीआे (बॅक आॅफिस) मध्ये काम करतात,असे सलुजा यांनी सांगितले. मात्र अनेक नामांकित कंपन्यांनी कामगारांना कमी केले, ५० टक्क्यांपर्यंत वेतन कपात किंवा बेंचवर ठेवण्याचा मार्ग अवलंबला. त्यामुळे ६८ हजार कर्मचाऱ्यांपैकी अनेकांची नोकरी गेली,काहींना वेतन कपातीला सामोरे जावे लागले आहे.