Kerala IT Workers Protest Against Growing ‘Pink Slip Culture

Quick Summary

• A 35-year-old mid-level engineer in Kerala was laid off under a U.S.-based software giant’s “benching policy,” which limits time unallocated to projects to 35 days,reportedly citing the adoption of artificial intelligence.
• The employee claims he was pressured into resigning on “mutual grounds” without clear justification and received six months’ gross salary but no additional benefits due to less than five years of service.
• IT employee collectives, including Progressive Techies and Prathidhwani, have raised strong objections against such practices, calling them coercive and urging companies to ensure internal committees for fair performance evaluations and upskilling opportunities.
• INTUC State president R.Chandrasekharan criticized successive governments for obstructing unionization in the tech sector,alleging human rights violations under the guise of investment attraction.
• INTUC plans a trade union symposium on technology’s impact on labor while organizations like Prathidhwani are assisting affected workers through mentoring and job placement services.

Indian Opinion analysis

The reported layoffs resulting from strict benching policies highlight evolving challenges in India’s IT industry as reliance on artificial intelligence grows. While businesses navigate changing technological landscapes for efficiency, reports of arbitrary dismissals raise ethical questions about balancing profitability with worker welfare. Calls from IT advocacy groups to establish unbiased performance evaluation systems and provide upskilling pathways seem logical given India’s dependence on its vibrant IT workforce.Moreover, longstanding impediments to unionization indicate systemic gaps in safeguarding employees’ collective bargaining rights-issues that merit reflection by policymakers seeking sustained growth alongside social equity. Collaborative frameworks between companies and worker representatives may help mitigate growing concerns about workplace fairness while maintaining economic competitiveness.Read more at The Hindu.