The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : CITU to extend ‘help’ to IT staff

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 18, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

CITU to extend ‘help’ to IT staff

K. Mrityunjaya Ram

To take up issues in software/BPO sector if employees come forward, says CITU leader

NELLORE: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) will extend help to employees working in Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies if they come forward to join hands with the union.

Labour laws

Giving this information to The Hindu, CITU all-India secretary K. Hema Latha, who was here on Wednesday to take part in a padayatra to protest against irregularities in Indiramma scheme, said, “We have started a nation-wide effort to rope in BPO and IT employees as they are being exploited on many fronts such as salaries and working conditions despite the five-day week schedule and fat pay checks. In addition, we will soon ask the United Progressive Alliance Government to implement labour laws in this sector, too.” At the same time, the employees will have to take an initiative either to work with us or form their own unions to fight for legitimate rights, Dr. Hema Latha said. “The young qualified technical workforce should understand the need of a redressal forum to address their grievances.” When asked to comment on the reported opposition of many professionals as well as companies in the sector to unionisation, the CITU leader claimed that most employees working in IT-enabled services had been getting salaries only for one-tenth of their work.

“Their pay packages might appear relatively higher when compared to employees in other sectors. But they have been getting very less despite tough working conditions and deadlines to complete the project works,” she added.

No separate laws

Dr. Hema Latha said the CITU would oppose separate labour laws for Special Economic Zones (SEZs). “Promoters of all the SEZs across the country have been enjoying many sops but failed either in generating employment avenues or earning revenue from exports.”

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