An industrial dispute case is filed against BYJU’s management by the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU). The case was filed because the company allegedly forced employees to resign.
The company laid off a significant number of employees to improve its financial situation in October 2022. According to KITU leaders, the laid-off employees were coerced into signing pre-typed resignation letters by HR. The union leader reported that the employees were promised one month’s pay as compensation, which has yet to be paid.
Nine former employees approached KITU to file a complaint with the labour commissioner. In one case, a 31-year-old man who had worked for BYJU’s for three years was terminated while his wife, also a BYJU’s employee, was on maternity leave. The couple is concerned that the wife may be fired upon her return to work, and they have relocated to the outskirts of Bengaluru to save money.
In October, BYJU’s announced that it would lay off 2,500 employees from various locations, including Bengaluru. The company raised $250 million, which is approximately Rs 2,000 crore, from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) shortly thereafter.
KITU filed an industrial dispute against BYJU’s on behalf of nine former employees on March 3, 2023.
The union alleges that BYJU’s management has for several months been using threats to force employees to resign , resulting in the illegal termination of hundreds of employees. KITU filed the dispute with the deputy labour commissioner in Bengaluru, demanding reinstatement, paying back of all dues, consequential benefits, and service continuity for the nine former employees.
Other former employees who were laid off can join the dispute by filing a rejoinder. The first informal meeting between the company and the union took place on March 8, 2023.
