IT Employees Burn Murthy, L&T Chief’s Effigies for Proposing Longer Workweeks
The IT sector in Bengaluru has been at the center of a heated debate over work practices in recent times. The latest development in this saga is a protest by KITU, an IT employees’ union in Karnataka, which saw employees take to the streets to express their discontent against exploitative work practices. The protest turned violent when IT employees in Bengaluru burnt effigies of Infosys Founder Narayana Murthy and L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan, who had recently proposed longer workweeks.
In a shocking move, Narayana Murthy had suggested that employees should be ready to work for 70 hours a week, while L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan had proposed a 90-hour workweek. These comments sparked outrage among IT employees, who feel that such demands are unrealistic and unfair. The KITU union, which represents thousands of IT employees in Karnataka, decided to take a stand against these proposals and organized a protest in Bengaluru.
Despite attempts by the Bengaluru Police to stop them, the protesters went ahead and burnt effigies of Murthy and Subrahmanyan. The police had deployed a large contingent of officers to control the situation, but the protesters managed to evade them and carry out their protest successfully.
The protest began at around 10 am on the outskirts of Bengaluru, with hundreds of IT employees participating. The protesters carried placards and banners with slogans like “Don’t exploit us” and “We want fair work practices”. The atmosphere was tense, with police officials trying to persuade the protesters to disperse.
However, the protesters remained resolute in their demand for fair treatment. They accused Murthy and Subrahmanyan of being out of touch with reality and not understanding the difficulties faced by IT employees. The protesters also demanded an end to the culture of long working hours and excessive workload, which they said was taking a toll on their mental and physical health.
The KITU union has been a vocal critic of the IT industry’s work practices, which they say are exploitative and unsustainable. The union has been demanding better working conditions, fair compensation, and a more humane work culture. The recent proposals by Murthy and Subrahmanyan have only added fuel to the fire, with many IT employees feeling that their concerns are being ignored.
The IT industry in Bengaluru has been the backbone of the city’s economy, with many major companies having their headquarters or major operations in the city. However, the industry has also been criticized for its work practices, which are often demanding and stressful. Many IT employees have spoken out about the pressure they face to work long hours, with some even reporting mental health issues as a result.
The protest by KITU is just the latest in a series of protests and demonstrations by IT employees in Bengaluru. The movement is gaining momentum, with many employees joining the protests and demanding change. It remains to be seen how the industry and government will respond to these demands, but one thing is clear – the IT employees of Bengaluru are not going to take this lying down.
