Hyderabad: Retrenched Verizon employees approach Telangana State Human Rights Commission

More than 50 laid-off employees of Verizon Data Services India in Hyderabad complained to the SHRC that the firm's management has not yet come forward to negotiate with them.

Image used for representational purpose.

HYDERABAD: More than 50 laid-off employees of Verizon Data Services India (VDSI) approached the Telangana State Human Right Commission (SHRC) in Hyderabad on Thursday, complaining that the firm's management has not yet come forward to negotiate with them.

This follows a meeting of the employees and the management of VDSI held at the State Labour Department office. During the meeting, the Joint Commissioner for Labour, Ranga Reddy, asked the two parties to reach an "amicable" solution through negotiations before January 3, when the next conciliation meeting is due.

The employees had earlier filed petitions with the Telangana State Labour, Employment Training, and Factories Department saying they were forcefully made to resign.

"There has been no response from the management despite constant follow-ups. There are hardly any working days left before January 3 when the next conciliation meeting," said a disgruntled techie from VDSI on condition of anonymity.

"The Labour officer asked us to come to an amicable solution through negotiations, before we meet on January 3. We are ready, but they are not," he added.

"The companies in question and several others have put employees in a limbo by forcing them to resign. The conditions of resignation bar them from working with any associated companies," said Kiran Chandra, member of the Forum of IT Professionals.

In a representation submitted to the Secretary of SHRC on Thursday, the techies alleged that their Right to Live, Right to Personal Liberty, Right to Freedom of Expression and Right to Work anywhere according to Article 14, 16, 19 and 21 were violated.

Techies who were earlier retrenched from companies like Tech Mahindra, Cognizant Technology Solutions and others joined the Verizon employees.