Kerala, home to India's first IT trade union

With the formation of an Association of IT Employees, Kerala is all set to become the home ground of India's first IT trade union. AD Jayan, convener of the ad hoc committee of the association, told The Pioneer that the primary objective of the association was to demand a fair remuneration for the thousands of employees who work at middle and lower levels in small scale IT ventures. The first meeting of the union was held in the Azheekodan Smarakam, the Thrissur district committee office of the CPI (M), on July 30.

Though it has all the blessings of the Leftist trade unions, the association claims that it would not encourage unnecessary strikes, traditionally promoted by many of the trade unions in the country. "By setting up a union like this, we want to prove baseless the campaign that a trade union in the IT sector would be detrimental to the interests of the IT industry. There is a common perception that trade union activities mean halting the functioning of the industry. We don't stand for unnecessary strikes and other means of extremist trade unionism. Ours would be an independent trade union," Jayan said.

Reports of poor pay and environment came in from workers who were in the Akshaya and IT@School projects that necessitated the formation of the union. Further, there are thousands of workers employed in much small scale IT ventures in the State, who have been getting very low salaries compared to their counterparts in the multinational companies. As a first step, it was decided to organise the employees working in Thrissur district, after which a State level association would be formed. "Anybody who does a computer-related job is eligible for getting a membership, which does not include large scale entrepreneurs. Initially, we had decided to organise 1000 members, but the membership has crossed 2000 now," he said.

Jayan said that the association would demand setting up of a working schedule for the employees in small scale IT ventures. Many have to work for more than 12 hours a day and this practice would have to be changed. Further, companies were giving very low remuneration for middle and lower level employees. This also should be stopped and employees should be given a fair pay scale. Also, there are employees who work permanently as 'trainees'. They should be given permanent posting, he said.

"A certain elite section alone is enjoying the fruits of the so-called IT revolution. We are only demanding a decent share of ours," he said. The response to the initiative has been tremendous as people from far away places like Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai have tried to establish contact, he said.

The first meeting of the association selected a ten-member ad hoc committee for future functioning. They would hold their next meeting in the middle of August to chalk out plans for conducting a large level convention of the association.

With opposition from their fellow comrades in West Bengal, initially, the CPI(M) was divided on forming trade union in the IT sector. Now, the party has taken a decision that the workers in the IT sector also have the right for collective bargaining, sources in the CPI(M) said.