IT services and consulting firm LTIMindtree has reportedly cancelled the offer letters sent to scores of fresh graduates. The company mandated that freshers who received offer letters in January 2022 and are still waiting to be onboarded, will have to undertake a new training programme to prove their eligibility.
The freshers have been asked to confirm their participation in the training programme by 6 pm on April 12, according to a report in Moneycontrol. Citing multiple sources, the report added that nearly 600-700 freshers who are awaiting their joining dates, will have to go through the new training and screening programme called Ignite.
Ignite is a 6-7 week programme and consists of three assessment tests. Those who secure 60% and more in all three tests will be deemed successful and will be considered further for onboarding in batches depending on business demand, the company said in its communication to the freshers, as per a report in the Times of India.
Condemning the move, IT-employee union Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) said that, “the company is putting these freshers in a state of uncertainty and using this new programme to delay their onboarding. This is not only unfair, but it is also a breach of trust and a violation of their right,” according to TOI.
In February, IT services firm Wipro had written to freshers who were previously offered a package of Rs 6.5 lakh per annum (lpa), asking if they would accept a package of Rs 3.5 lpa instead. Candidates who agreed to move to the lower package were told they could officially join the organisation from March, while the joining date of those who refused to switch remained uncertain. According to reports, the company had recently sacked 452 freshers on account of ‘poor performance’ in internal tests conducted after a training programme.
This comes at a time when the IT services sector has been facing headwinds due to the global macroeconomic situation leading to layoffs and onboarding delays.