Forget fire drills and startup pizza parties — the TCS campus in Chennai turned into ground zero of a full-blown tech rebellion this week. Hundreds of furious IT employees, backed by the Forum for IT Employees (FITE), hit the streets, protesting what they’re calling a “corporate massacre” of jobs.
The culprit? Tata Consultancy Services, the tech titan that’s now facing massive backlash for sudden, large-scale layoffs across departments. Employees allege that the company handed out termination letters like Diwali sweets, without explanation, compensation clarity, or even a virtual “thank you.”
Carrying banners that read “We Code, Not Beg!” and “You’re Fired? No, We’re Furious!”, the protesting techies shouted slogans outside TCS’s Siruseri campus.
“This isn’t downsizing, it’s career assassination,” said one software engineer, who claims she was let go with just a two-week notice after six years at the firm.
FITE, the union leading the charge, is demanding immediate reinstatement of employees, an official apology, and intervention by the Tamil Nadu labour department. “This isn’t restructuring — it’s exploitation in a suit,” said FITE’s spokesperson.
TCS, on the other hand, issued a calm, corporate-speak statement saying, “We periodically review our workforce to align with project requirements.” Translation? “We’ll say something that sounds legal, but really means nothing.”
What’s worse — several employees reported being locked out of office systems overnight, learning about their termination via email. One protester claimed, “My ID stopped working before I got the HR call. Even my Gmail had more empathy.”
Twitter, Reddit, and LinkedIn are ablaze with reactions, with hashtags like #TechiesAgainstTCS and #CodeNotCull trending nationwide.
While the layoffs are reportedly part of a “resource optimization strategy,” critics call it “corporate betrayal wrapped in Excel sheets.” TCS has remained tight-lipped since the protest broke, even as videos of the rally go viral.
If the company doesn’t respond soon, FITE has threatened statewide agitation, and potentially legal action. For now, the IT corridors of Chennai are echoing with rage — and resistance.
