Wipro allows over 30,000 employees to unionise in Europe

Indian IT giant Wipro has allowed over thirty thousand of its employees working in Europe to unionise, making it the first Indian company to take this step. The IT services giant entered into an agreement with employee representatives to set up European Works Council (EWC).

Deepak Parija, Senior Vice President and CHRO of Wipro’s Europe arm said that this was a step towards adopting European employment standards.

He said, “EWS demonstrates that Wipro is applying and adopting European employment standards as a responsible global employer.”

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It is worth noting that the request to allow the formation of a union was made by employees in 2019 and it is a regulatory requirement in Europe for companies to act upon the request within three years from the date of receiving said request.  

“The EWC will help us in getting even better as we assimilate employee perspectives on a consistent basis,” the CHRO of  the Europe arm of Wipro added. 

The company announced in a statement that the EWC agreement was negotiated with employee representatives from 13 countries including the Netherlands, Germany,  France, Sweden, and Finland. 

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The IT/ITeS services company also noted that following the appointment of members of the EWS, as per the local rules, the first constitutional meeting of the union will take place in Q1 FY 2024 where the members would be expected to elect a chairman, and select committee members. The union would also be expected to ensure Wipro employees are informed and consulted by management on the progress of the business and any significant decisions that could affect them.

Interestingly, the company has incurred a cost of Rs 136 crore in the July to September quarter of the financial year 2022-23 in restructuring charges to address inefficiencies in Europe.

“Setting up the EWC strengthens the already successful cooperation with employee representations in many European countries. Wipro aims to provide the best employee experience and create an inclusive environment that welcomes everyone and nurtures an overall sense of belonging,” Parija added.