WIPRO’s Big Boost to Employees’ Welfare in These Tough Times

At a time when IT Company employees are in great dismay due to ongoing layoffs in big MNCs Wipro gives some good news and relief to its employees. It becomes the first Indian IT services company to permit the unionization of its staff in Europe. Following a request from workers in 2019, the business has entered into an agreement with employee representatives to establish a European Works Council (EWC). The action encourages workers to engage in a productive discussion about matters that affect them.

Employee representatives from 13 different nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, and Finland, participated in the negotiations for the EWC agreement. The EWC was established within the three-year regulatory window following the request's receipt. Wipro has over 30,000 employees in Europe, and some of its most important clients include Metro, Telefonica Germany, and ABB.

According to Wipro's statement to TOI, the EWC will be run by elected or appointed employee representatives from the EU and EEA under current national law and practice.

The CEO of Wipro for Europe will continue to sponsor the chair, along with a group that includes regional business leaders, the CHRO Europe, the head of employee relations, and representatives from legal and finance who have been nominated. The EWC's main goal is to establish a long-lasting working relationship with employee representatives from all nations, to share and discuss issues of transnational interest, and to represent the interests of the general public. According to Wipro, this is a progressive arrangement that upholds the best working and standard practices found in Europe.

The EWC will elect its chairman and select committee members at its first constitutional meeting, which will occur in the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year after members have been appointed in accordance with local regulations. At this meeting, the EWC will also begin its work to ensure that Wipro employees are informed and involved in management's decisions that could have a significant impact on them.

Employee unions in Europe have made previous attempts to bargain with Wipro for higher pay. For instance, last year, Financial Services Union (FSU) members working for Allied Irish Bank (AIB) and employees of Wipro voted in favor of pay revisions between the union and the IT company.

Wipro's announcement regarding EWC comes after it incurred restructuring costs of Rs 136 crore to address inefficiencies in Europe in the third quarter of this year. The company did not go into specifics regarding the inefficiencies.

News Source: https://www.wipro.com/newsroom/wipro-in-the-news/