Do you think IT employees need unions?

BANGALORE, INDIA: These are times when IT and ITES companies in the country are employing a huge number of workforce to get the jobs, most of which are outsourced from the U.S. or European countries, done.

With job opportunities, come along a lot of issues for employees, including remuneration, increments, security and allied benefits. But as the sector is not organized, unlike the public sector, many of their grouses go unnoticed, until and unless a major allegation or scam breaks out.

Isn't it high time these companies warmed up to the idea of employee unions, to enable managements hearing out their staff's woes and redress them effectively?

There is, of course, one such — Association of IT Employees (AITE) — backed by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), which declares itself as the first independent trade union of IT employees, with a membership of a measly 10,000 in Kerala.

It came to the fore last November for organizing a Secretariat march to protest against the state government's alleged use of Akshaya centres, which aim at bridging the digital divide, as agents for the interest of private players. At the time, AITE state secretary A.D. Jayan, accused, "The government and even the companies are using and exploiting IT employees, as they are not in an organized sector.

It is pertinent to point out that the association demanded the implementation of the IT Act and a welfare board for IT employees, observing that the IT employees are denied the rights for benefits like ESI, insurance, provident fund, bonus, and increment. "Companies that take outsourced works for huge amounts are giving meager salaries to the employees," it said.

The fact, however, remains that many such issues don't get to see the light of the day, as there are no formal IT staff unions.

IT employees do need a union, says N.R. Hegde, former regional director of UNI Development Organizing Centre, Karnataka, who is also the vice-president of INTUC, Karnataka. "But as a parent, I would say no to my children joining an IT union."

One reason for that is: Although many employees of IT companies and BPOs approach neutral fora to get their work-related issues addressed, they are averse to revealing their own identity, fearing the consequences, explains Hegde.

Another related view is that since employers want power neutralization, they strongly oppose unions and don't want it to affect productivity.

In this regard, UNITES Professionals, an organization headquartered in Bangalore, works towards establishing a link between employers and employees of IT and ITES companies. Hegde, who was instrumental in it coming into being, says that attempts are being made to create unions, "at least, among the first grade BPO/call centre employees."

For that to materialize, he feels that there should be systematic initiatives on sensitizing employees to stand up for their causes.

Do you think unions for IT/ITES employees help improve prevailing situations?