(This story originally appeared in on Jul 14, 2017)

Layoff blues: Techies plan protest on August 5 in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Amid confusion over massive layoffs in information technology companies, the employees’ union is now planning a protest march at Freedom Park on August 5. According to organisers, over 5,000 techies are expected to take part in the event.Kumara Swamy AC, president of Information Technology Employees Union, said, “The perception that IT employees are at the top of society is fast crumbling. Many companies are quietly sacking people and we are going to organise a protest. It’s mainly to draw the attention of everyone towards the problems being faced by the IT employees, including the issue of layoffs.” The union says it’s high time the government took the matter seriously.“The purpose of the protest is to bring the truth in front of the government and debunk myths being circulated by many IT companies . Company higher-ups have conveniently shifted the onus of layoffs on re-skilling and automation. That’s not the case,” Swamy said.The union expects over 5,000 disgruntled IT employees — who have issues ranging from transportation to work place discrimination to layoffs — to attend the meet. Most techies believe that the way IT has registered growth in India, there have been a huge amount of restructuring within the companies itself and now this is proving to be a bane — rather than a boon.Also being a primary outsourcing market, Swamy said, Indian sector focused on market-driven technology with little or no thrust on innovation and upgradation, and now when the market has slowed down the total blame is put on employees and their lack of efforts to re-skill according to the needs of the market.Syed Muqeem, president of All India Information Technology Employee Association, said, “This is a good way of nudging people who think that layoffs are a part of annual restructuring activities. We will be more than happy to join the protest.”“Most thought IT industry leaders are playing the ostrich by burying their head deep in the sand instead of addressing issues being faced by employees working in the industry. If people come out and protest then only they will know the extent of damage that has been done,” he added.