Bengaluru's IT employees are fascinated with the idea of unions

Bengaluru, the IT hub of the country, has seen hundreds of layoffs off lately. This has led to IT employees' unions getting traction in the Karnataka capital.

The state government has exempted the Information Technology-Bio Technology (IT-BT) sector from standing orders of the labour department, which has led to a weak organisational structure for state’s IT employees, say unions working out from Chennai.

It was in 2016 that the Tamil Nadu government had legalised and allowed the formation of IT unions, which covered the IT sector under the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947.

This year, on Labour Day, the IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge had said that the state government could allow labour unions ready to work for the welfare of techies in Bengaluru and Karnataka.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

Kharge told TNN that he has already been approached by as many as three groups claiming to represent IT employees, to discuss about the recent layoffs in the industry.

"The government has to ascertain the veracity of these groups and whether they are in fact representatives of IT employees," said Kharge.

However, an organisation called Forum for IT employees (FITE) is terming these layoffs as illegal, and has sought government intervention.

"We are trying to organise the IT employees in the city and expect a sizeable number of them to join us. We have also sought an appointment with the IT-BT minister to discuss the matter," said R Balaji, VP of FITE.