Trade unionists, techies call for unionisation & labour laws after death of EY employee

NT Bengaluru: Amidst nationwide outrage over the death of a 26-year-old accountant in Ernst and Young (EY) due to alleged work pressure, trade union leaders and techies in Bengaluru called for the creation of employee unions to prevent similar incidents. Four months into her stint at EY, Anna Sebastian Perayil passed away on July 20th, allegedly due to work pressure.

In a letter written to the chairman Rajiv Memani, Anita Augustine, the mother alleged that she worked late frequently, and would return to her accommodation exhausted. “However, the workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally,” she wrote. VJK Nair, President of the Karnataka State IT/ ITeS employees union (KITU) explained how laws don’t cover IT companies, despite them playing a crucial role in sustaining all other sectors. “There are special acts for companies, and commercial establishments. However, a specific law for the IT sector is crucial as it has expanded, enormously,” he said. He also claimed that the definition of IT as a sector itself avoids coverage under the laws. “Both the government and the employer avoid implementing the laws in IT companies which safeguard employees.

The example of the 14-hour work bill being an exemption under the Shops and Commercial Act, shows the intention of the employer,” he stated. He also wondered why the plight of many others who work under such terrible conditions are not being looked into. “Many have died due to silicosis, which occurs due to working in quarries. Those workers hail from poorer backgrounds and don’t have any labour laws covering them,” he explained. He concluded that now, awareness is increasing among employees on the need to get organised and demand their rightful share of benefits.

Surya Narayanan, a techie from HSR Layout, laid out the reasons why employees should get organised and more so at a time when employers are inclined to make more and more profits. “Unions have always helped improve working conditions. Say, if EY is unionised, it may help the other three of the Big Four (accounting firms) to unionise,” he asserted.

Four months into her stint at EY, Anna Sebastian Perayil passed away, allegedly due to work pressure .