Concerned over their job security, the onsite employees (those working on client locations) of the scam-tainted Satyam Computers are now knocking on the doors of worker unions for support.
"We have received hundreds of queries from Satyam employees in Japan, US and UK," Karthik Shekhar, General Secretary, UNITE Professional India, an IT-BPO Union and the Indian arm of UNITE told PTI.
UNITE is the UK's largest employee union.
The company had reportedly asked some of its onsite employees to return home. However, the company spokesperson said no such action had been taken by Satyam.
Earlier, top officials had indicated that there could be some trimming of overseas workforce and a reshuffle on the onsite-offshore balance to cut cost. It could not be confirmed as to how many employees are currently, working on client locations.
"In Japan, the employees are more distressed and worried as most of them are non-billable. The company had already made clear that they are trying to convert the non-billable employees into billable. So the employees of Satyam in Japan fears that they would be asked to come back to India and would be sacked," Shekhar added. Over 25 Satyam employees had contacted a Japanese labour union with whom UNITES is co-ordinating, Sekhar said, adding, Satyam employees in Japan, would be assisted through representation, advice and guidance and support as necessary and appropriate through the union.
In UK and the US things are no different. In the US, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), is helping the Satyam employees. Satyam has reportedly lost clients in US.
"We along with SEIU are approaching the companies, who have taken away projects from Satyam and requesting them that instead of recruiting new people they can directly employ the people (Satyam staff) working on the project," Sekhar said.
Without divulging the names, he said an insurance major in the US has already started employing the Satyam employees working on a particular project directly.
Satyam had already made it clear that "they will not throw the rule book on employees who plans to quit" and has also indicated relaxing certain Visa norms.
UNITE had said it would talk to the governments of UK, Japan and other countries where the tainted IT firm has a branch to protect the interest of the foreign workers of the company.
Satyam has presence in more than 65 countries. Satyam development and delivery centers in the US, Canada, Brazil, the UK, Egypt, UAE, India, China, Singapore, and Australia.
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