Hyderabad: The Tamil Nadu government's recent clarification that employees in IT firms were free to form unions as per its labour laws has had an impact on the IT industry in Hyderabad too.
Flooded with queries, the Telangana State labour department has clarified that IT firms in TS too are covered under the Trade Unions Act, 1926 and Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and there are no restrictions on forming employee unions.
A senior labour department official said, “An IT firm is registered like any other company and all norms that are applicable to any other company are applicable to IT also. Employees are free to form unions and redress their grievances as per the provisions of the Trade Unions Act, 1926.”
There is no union activity in any IT company in the city as employees are wary of forming unions fearing damage to their career prospects.
The labour department’s clarification assumes significance in the backdrop of unrest among employees over reports of IT firms becoming fully automated with artificial intelligence in the coming years, which would result in huge job losses.
At present, there is only the Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA), a non-profit organisation and taking up social causes like promoting digital literacy in villages. Employees of various IT firms join TITA in their individual capacity, not representing their companies.
A TITA member said, “IT employees fear forming unions and indulging in union activities. They fear their career growth will be hit. Moreover, most of the employees do not work for more than two years for any company. They are worried about not getting jobs in new companies if they are into unionism.”
Employees admitted that there is unrest over losing jobs in coming days due to automation and this may spur union activities in IT firms to protect the rights of employees.
