TCS revokes termination order of woman employee

Tata Consultancy Services, the country’s largest information technology services provider, has revoked a dismissal letter issued to a female employee and so informed the Madras High Court.

Last week, the HC had issued an interim injunction to restrain TCS from implementing the order for four weeks.

When asked, a company spokesperson said: “Ms Sasi Rekha has stated in the affidavit before the HC that she is pregnant. This was not made known to TCS by (her) during the exit process. Considering this statement, TCS, while disputing that (such) employees are workmen within the (meaning of the) Industrial Disputes Act, decided to revoke the letter relieving Ms Sasi Rekha, as an exceptional case, in line with its practice of not relieving any employee during pregnancy. This fact was brought to the knowledge of the Court and recording the same, the court has dismissed the writ petition as infructuous.”

According to advocate Ramapriya Gopalakrishnan, the letter of dismissal had been dated December 22, 2014. She added another petition of a similar nature was filed with the HC on Tuesday, with a hearing on Wednesday.

On January 13, an order by judge M Duraiswamy directed the TCS management not to effect the order of termination, of being relieved from service on January 21.

The petitioner had asked the court to issue orders directing the labour department to commence conciliation proceedings on the industrial dispute raised by her on the dismissal notice. And, to direct TCS to await the outcome of this before effecting any dismissal.

TATA Consultancy Services ( TCS )