Pune-based IT employee union Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) on Tuesday stated that it has filed a written complaint with the Ministry of Labour and Employment against IT major Infosys, alleging that the firm has delayed the onboarding of around 2,000 fresh engineering graduates for more than two years.
According to NITES, these freshers, selected for system engineer and digital specialist engineer roles, were issued offer letters as early as April 2022 but have since faced continuous delays in the onboarding process, which included unpaid pre-training programmes and unexpected additional assessments.
The IT workers’ body alleged that despite fulfilling all requirements on their part, these professionals have been kept in limbo for more than two years, causing immense frustration, anxiety, and uncertainty.
“We believe that this is not just a breach of trust by one of India’s largest IT companies, but also a significant issue that impacts the future of our country’s IT workforce and economy. We are calling on the government to take immediate and strict action against Infosys to ensure that such exploitative practices are halted and that the rights of these young professionals are protected,” said Harpreet Singh Saluja, President, NITES.
Queries sent to Infosys remained unanswered at the time of going to press.
However, during the media conference following its Q1 FY25 results, the company’s management mentioned that only a small number of onboardings from the previous year are pending.
“…a small portion of that (onboarding) would be pending. The rest is pretty much done,” said Jayesh Sanghrajka, CFO of Infosys, when asked about the completion of onboarding freshers.
The NITES complaint stated that even after delays, graduates were asked to join an unpaid virtual pre-training from July 1 to July 24, 2024, after which they were promised final joining by August 19 or September 2, 2024. However, despite completing the training, they were informed they must retake the exam offline, again without pay.
Infosys saw a headcount decline of 1,908 in Q1 FY25. During the recent Q1 earnings call, the firm mentioned plans to hire 15,000 to 20,000 freshers this year, depending on the growth it experiences.
First Published: Aug 20 2024 | 9:45 PM IST
