Wipro becomes 1st Indian IT firm to allow Europe employees to form union

Wipro has allowed its employees to unionise in Europe. It has become the first IT company in India to do so, as reported by the Times of India (TOI). The employees will be allowed to set up a European Works Council (EWC) and encourage debates on their issues. 

Wipro's employees that have been allowed to unionise belong to 13 countries including France, Sweden, Finland and Germany. In Europe, the company has over 30,000 employees. 

The EWC will be led by elected or appointed employee representatives from the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). The chair sponsorship will continue to remain with Wipro's CEO for Europe and a team of regional business heads.

"The key purpose of the EWC is to build an inclusive and sustained working relationship with employee representatives of all countries, to share and deliberate on matters of transnational interest and enlist the voice of people. This is a progressive arrangement, maintaining the best of European standards and ways of working," Wipro told TOI. 

The first meeting of the body will take place in 2024. The report added that the EWC will elect its chairman and the select committee members in the meeting. Also, Wipro employees will be consulted on the progress of the business. 

In September, Wipro incurred Rs 136 crore in restructuring charges to address the inefficiencies in Europe.