Just a couple of months after sending transfer notices to about 2,000 employees, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has allegedly stopped paying salaries to more than 900 of them for declining to abide by the company’s policies. The development has come to light in the wake of the Maharashtra labour department issuing a notice summoning the company’s officials over the ‘unexplained’ transfers.

While mails to TCS didn’t elicit any response, IT employee union Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) said, “The company has unethically stopped salary of employees who are opposing these forced transfers. NITES strongly condemns the illegal tactics of TCS forcing employees either to accept the forced transfers or resign from the job. The company is ignoring all the financial hardship, family disruption, stress and anxiety these forced transfers cause to employees.”

FE spoke to about 30 employees from TCS on Google Meet, who complained they haven’t been given any specific project in the locations they were suppose to move to. Some of the employees were paid only Rupees 6,000 for the month of December because they were not able to fill the time sheet on the company portal, Ultimatix. The firm had blocked their access to the portal, they said.

An e mail to one of the affected employees reads, “This is with reference to your transfer order to TCS Mumbai followed by the transfer email directing you to report to the said branch within 14 days and complete your transfer process. However, it has been noted that you have failed to report to the transferred branch till date.”

It adds, “Considering your failure to report to the transferred location and offering your services, even after 14 days of given timeline, the company is initiating stoppage of your salary with immediate effect. The company is proceeding with further disciplinary action against you for your continued failure to obey company order and breach of term of your employment.”

The affected employee who didn’t want to go on record said, “We were on bench for about 3-4 months after our project got into some financial problem. During that time, I was asked to go to some other location, without being given a project there. If I am in bench, how does it matter to the company whether I am in Hyderabad or Bengaluru or Mumbai?”

Another affected employee said on condition of anonymity, “In every location, the company has bench strength. So, why have we been sent to other locations just to be in bench? We have joined TCS at this level of salary considering the cost of living in our base location. It will be a raw deal for us to go to a bigger city that has a higher cost of living and lacks family support.”