Those working in Tamil Nadu’s Information and Technology (IT) sector and the Union of IT and ITES Employees (UNITE) pointed out that the IT Nanban portal that was launched by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin focuses only on employers.

They demanded that the portal should be opened to employees and civil society so they can access information, get involved in policy making and file any issues faced by employees without any restrictions. Currently, the website allows only employers to register.

“The portal claims to be the bridge between the IT industry and the government of Tamil Nadu, but restricts the registration to use the portal’s facilities to only employers. The IT and ITES employees are the 99% stakeholders of the IT industry, but the portal acts as a single window system between the 1% of the industry and the government,” Alagunambi Welkin, General Secretary of UNITE, said.

“The portal has the capability to file complaints the employers face, which will be routed to the right department and fast-tracked. We welcome such a single window system, but we also like to highlight that the same can be used to address employees’ issues, like lack of job security, forced resignation, discriminatory performance appraisals among others,” he said.

Krishna, who works for an IT firm in the Old Mahabalipuram belt, said there were over 3 lakh employees in this sector, and the State government should open up the IT Nanban platform for employees to address their woes and concerns. Meanwhile, UNITE said the new government should hold periodic tripartite meeting between employers’ and employees’ bodies and other stakeholders for the betterment of the IT sector in Tamil Nadu.