Hunger strike to get joining date - is it justified?

@thebigk • Oct 14, 2024

Oct 14, 2024

3.0K

Times Of India reports that the engineers recruited by HCL, about 50 of them, are on hunger strike to get a joining date from the company. The engineers were recruited by HCL in 2011 hiring season and have not yet received their joining dates. The engineers have been protesting since last few weeks (Read: <a href="https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/layoffs-in-hcl-infotech.67185">Layoffs In HCL InfoTech?</a> ) and now have declared hunger strike until the company intimate their date of joining.

HCL's situation isn't quite good it seems. There were several employees who were asked to find projects or leave the company (resign).

Now, the question is -

Are the students justified in going for a hunger strike to get their date of joining?
Do you think it's justified that HCL has not sent joining letters because they're unable to offer jobs at this time because the company's going through economic troubles (we'd guess).

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oprime

@oprime-Myffqx • Mar 30, 2013

I find it surprising that HCL has not yet issued joining letters to students whom they have recruited in 2011 but are conducting off campus placements all over the country in 2012.

NASSCOM should police the companies and force them to induct people whohave been recruited in the past and prevent the companies from conducting further placements. (Though, I think NASSCOM does not have any such power power and is mainly a group formed by the companies themselves.) A government regulator like RBI or SEBI or TRAI would have been great.
zaveri

@zaveri-5TD6Sk • Mar 30, 2013

It makes me laugh.

Population explosion is the main problem and neither the freshers nor HCL are at fault.

it so happens that the supply has exceeded the demand.
Anand Tamariya

@anand-tamariya-DnfjEX • Mar 31, 2013

I expect companies to be more responsible while hiring. Don't hire if you don't have visibility of pipeline. But once you roll-out offers, do honor it. And certainly don't keep anyone waiting for more than a quarter.
mail154

@mail154-dIBzbF • Jul 25, 2013

Fault at both of the people. Though saying we will not conduct campus recruitment,HCL continuosly doing it so. For the companies the employee numbers are just a simple asset. with the numbers they get the projects. though being in trouble to ask the old selected candidates to join the job,why they picking up the new ones by time to time? they pick up and go and mostly the college doesn't allow the candidates were not allowed to take next campus interview in order to give jobs for next level students.. if one has 5 offers of a job then what would be the position of others?? the students also should not wait for such a long period..they select at a year and call us after 5 years..do you think its correct?
Sarathkumar Chandrasekaran

@sarathkumar-FEGRPw • Jul 25, 2013

Its definitely an HCL fault.HCl should have intimated them whether they are appointing or not.They have wasted their years in wainting for job.
I support the hunger strike!!!!!!
Jeffrey Arulraj

@jeffrey-xA7lUP • Jul 26, 2013

Well next few years I am sure Campus recruitment of 100% is going to be a thing of the past

But this move is really not appreciable HCL is a private firm and it is not going to budge a bit for your strikes and stuff

Instead of wasting they could have done a lot of better stuff

Well ahimsa is not going to give you food mate
Anoop Mathew

@anoop-FRTf1L • Jul 26, 2013

Well most campus recruitments in plain indian (as some foreigners would think) is bakwas! Your picture comes up on a huge sign board both outside and inside the colleges - which the honourable management does to boost the college status. Well WTF to that! And to the students who're striking - if you've got it in you, throw away those appointment letters and move on!!!
Abhishek Rawal

@abhishek-fg9tRh • Jul 26, 2013

I don't understand what's up with people ?
Anything happen which they didn't expected : Hunger Strike.
To stop corruption : Hunger Strike.

This doesn't work in long run, trust that. Where is Anna Hazare now ? Where that fire of "India against corruption" ? well, all fizzles out in long run.

I don't support violence, but hunger-strike in everything is not justified.

To the topic : Indian companies need to be more responsible, more professional.They shouldn't act like government companies. However, I have seen that government companies like BSNL, have accurate joining date than these private firms.
Anoop Kumar

@anoop-kumar-GDGRCn • Jul 26, 2013

oprime
NASSCOM should police the companies and force them to induct people who have been recruited in the past and prevent the companies from conducting further placements. A government regulator like RBI or SEBI or TRAI would have been great.
+1
It's HCL's faults, but hunger strike definitely bad move. It will never help in any way.

In 2008 also, students from good regional colleges got recruited in Syntel and because of college placement cell policy they not allowed to apply in further campus placement. Syntel was keep extending their dates upto 2 years and finally canceled the offer.
Imagine this WTF situation with students. Most of them waited over a year and then went out for job hunting.
Why companies do this: In this situation most of them are service based (Infosys also delay the joining upto one year). they bid on project start hiring freshers if they successfully get the project , they do call those recruits other wise let them wait.

A govt. regularity should be there to control this recruitment process. They should not allowed to recruit and then cancel offer before completion of bond.
But even if there will a regulatory I have doubt it will able to solve problem. there is Tsunami of graduates and I am sure they will just add a clause while campus placement "Organization has full authority to cancel this offer any time" and no grad will have problem with it.
Anand Tamariya

@anand-tamariya-DnfjEX • Jul 26, 2013

It's fifteen years since world first heard of pink-slips. I thought people would have matured by now. But looks like they haven't!! There's no such thing as job security in private organizations. There's no such thing as job guarantee - all of these come with a whole lot of T&Cs. No wonder bigger the company, bigger their legal team.

So stop fighting for what *should* these company do. I'm sure if you were in their shoes, you'd do the same coz at the end of the day it's about running biz.
Anoop Kumar

@anoop-kumar-GDGRCn • Jul 26, 2013
I completely disagree that a candidate has no right while getting offer from company!
It's not about job-security, it's about an organization offering a job and then withdrawing it, that mean jeopardizing the candidate's career.

I didn't find NASSCOM rules and regulation but I heard a crap that companies can block a candidate (In case of false facts and breaking contract ) under some rule. So if it true isn't NASSCOM has rule to block companies if they are breaking ethics.

Does only candidate have to suffer contract period and notice period kind of shits☕

here is reference of UK govt. job offer rule. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/job-offers-your-rights" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Job offers: your rights - GOV.UK</a>
.......................................................................
If an employer withdraws their job offer

Once someone has accepted an offer they can only take action in certain situations.
SituationAction
The applicant has evidence that the employer<a href="https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights/discrimination-at-work" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Discrimination: your rights: Discrimination at work - GOV.UK</a> when withdrawing the offer The applicant can take the employer to an <a href="https://www.gov.uk/employment-tribunals" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Make a claim to an employment tribunal: When you can claim - GOV.UK</a>
The employer has confirmed that the job offer was unconditional, or the applicant has met all conditions The applicant can sue the employer for â€˜breach of contractâ€™
The offer was conditional and the applicant didnâ€™t meet the conditions The applicant canâ€™t take any action
If a new employee changes their mind

If someone accepts an unconditional offer and then changes their mind, the employer can:

make them work out any contractual element of their notice

sue them for breach of contract
Anand Tamariya

@anand-tamariya-DnfjEX • Jul 26, 2013

Good luck fighting for your rights via Indian Judicial system!!
lovebox

@lovebox-ZyXFqj • Jul 26, 2013

Companies decide on their bench-strength based on speculations and market predictions. Sometimes things do not go as planned and then the bench is all set to lose its strength. But in this particular case it seems that the company should have given priority to the candidates already offered jobs rather than going about recruiting from campuses.
On the other hand though, I wonder, could these 50 odd engineering graduates not come up with any better idea, individually or collectively, than going in for a hunger strike? I mean the look at the company they are crusading against, it was also founded by six engineers looking to carve out their own niche in the world.
To the guys carrying on this hunger strike: "Come on guys. You are engineers. I am sure you can create something greater than just a demonstration or a hunger strike. Maybe, the next big enterprise could be your brainchild. Although, I will take back my words if your intention is to join politics. Good luck for everything that you do."
oprime

@oprime-Myffqx • Jul 27, 2013

#-Link-Snipped-# Those 6 engineers already had quite a lot of experience before they decided to start their own company.
These students are freshers. They have never been in the corporate world. They do not have any idea about how it works.

How do you expect them to start a company?
Anoop Mathew

@anoop-FRTf1L • Jul 27, 2013

oprime
#-Link-Snipped-# Those 6 engineers already had quite a lot of experience before they decided to start their own company.
These students are freshers. They have never been in the corporate world. They do not have any idea about how it works.

How do you expect them to start a company?
Well I work in a company started by 3 freshers. I have 2 friends who have started small scale companies of their own along with their friends. It takes lots of guts to step up for such a task.
mail154

@mail154-dIBzbF • Jul 27, 2013

anoopthefriend
Well I work in a company started by 3 freshers. I have 2 friends who have started small scale companies of their own along with their friends. It takes lots of guts to step up for such a task.

yes..it doesn't just need skills and money..but the guts matter a lot