HYDERABAD: Besides retrenchments and issues related to variable pay, software professionals came up with a host of other issues plaguing their work-life balance whilst working at the multinational companies.
At the first State Convention of Forum for IT Professionals (ForIT), deliberations were made on issues ranging from performance appraisal system to paternity leaves. The convention saw demands being formulated, which would be later submitted to the labour department and the State government, to bring about systematic changes in the functioning of MNCs.
The first such demand was to implement Labour Laws in the IT companies. It was followed by a widespread call to have changes done to the bell-curved appraisal system. In such an appraisal system, employers categorise employees and rate them broadly into top, average and non-performers. And the major flaw with such a system, as observed by many, is that a specific percentage is allocated to each categorisation and the raters cannot go beyond the limit. “The rating system is not rational and is not transparent because of which biases exist,” said Kiran Chandra, President of ForIT.
AIIEA and FMRAI support trade union
With the governing body of ForIT proposing to form a trade union, the All India Insurance Employee Association (AIIEA) and the Telangana Medical and Sales Representatives Union (TMSRU) extended their support for the formation of the first trade union in the IT sector in the city. “It is a welcome sign for technocrats coming out and taking this initiative,” said A Nageshwar Rao, Vice President, TMSRU.
Motion against retrenchments
Senior counsel A Sathya Prasad, who is currently arguing the case of retrenchments at Verizon Data Services India and Tech Mahindra, said that a motion has been moved at the High Court. “We can expect the HC to direct the labour department to intervene and reinstate them,” he said.
Plea to increase retirement age
With MNCs capping retirement at 55 years, techies called for an increase in the retirement age. “We are knowledge holders and the brain does not stop working after 55. The retirement age should be similar to government provisions,” said Satish, an employee at an MNC.