Cognizant, Accenture and Caspex accused of 'white collar slavery' in a new lawsuit

• The Forum Against Corruption And three employees based in Hyderabad have filed a case against IT giants — including Cognizant, Accenture and Caspex Corporation.
  
• The Public Interest Litigation(PIL) has alleged the companies for bad leave policy, long working hours and poor incentives.
  
• It also said that the “white collared slavery prevailing in the state in the name of employment should end,” The News Minute reported.
  
• The government can only fine the IT companies of ₹100, if they break any law.

Indian IT industry is facing flak from its employees over work-related exploitation.

The long working hours and the lack of time to attend to personal needs have taken a toll on the sector’s employees.

The Forum Against Corruption and three employees based in Hyderabad filed a case against IT giants — Cognizant, Accenture and Caspex Corporation — seeking improvement in work culture in companies and end employees exploitation, Vijay Gopal, President of the Forum Against Corruption told Moneycontrol.

The PIL alleged that the IT companies have a bad leave policy, long working hours and poor incentives.

Business Insider India contacted them but could not receive their response at the time of publishing. The article will be updated as and when they respond.

White collared slavery prevails in the state, say IT sector employees

IT sector employees who cater to international clients clock in extra hours without overtime pay. They are also subjected to a 4-5 hours in commute.

As per Telangana Shops and Establishments Act, 1988 companies cannot direct the employees to work over eight hours a day and overtime can be extended to a maximum of six hours a day.

However, in 2002, the state government allowed the IT companies to overlook the labour laws — includes daily working hours, leaves and laws that protect employees.

The PIL said that the “white collared slavery prevailing in the state in the name of employment should end,” The News Minute reported citing the employees.

The Telangana High Court directed the IT companies to respond to PIL within a month. It has also sent the notice to the Telangana state government. However, the government can only fine the IT companies of ₹100, if they break a law.

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