CorroHealth flouts assurance; Kerala IT forum calls anti-layoff protest at Infopark

Kochi: Employees affected by mass layoffs at CorroHealth have decided to intensify their agitation after alleging that the company continued to disregard labour department directions by locking them out of its Kochi office, even after being instructed to allow them entry pending government-led conciliation talks.

The latest development came on Tuesday, July 7, when employees arriving for work found the CorroHealth Infotech Private Limited office in Kochi shut, with the premises locked and security personnel absent. The incident has further escalated an ongoing dispute over the company's decision to terminate around 800–900 employees from its Kochi and Kozhikode offices.

Kochi office locked despite official directions

According to employees, the lockout directly violated directions issued during a meeting held on Monday involving MLA Uma Thomas, the Labour Commissioner and company representatives.

During the meeting, the company had been instructed to allow the terminated employees access to the office until a high-level meeting with the Labour Minister scheduled for Friday, July 10. The arrangement was intended to remain in place while conciliation efforts continued.

Following Tuesday's lockout, Assistant Labour Officers marked the attendance of employees who reported for duty. The exercise was carried out to establish that the employees had presented themselves for work, thereby maintaining the employer's liability to provide employment.

The latest action also comes after the company allegedly ignored an earlier request from the labour department to maintain the status quo after announcing the sudden layoffs. Instead, employees said CorroHealth credited a three-month severance package directly into their bank accounts without waiting for the conciliation process to conclude.

Employees allege that the lockout reflects the company's continued refusal to comply with labour department instructions ahead of Friday's meeting with the Labour Minister.

IT employees' forum announces protest campaign

Meanwhile, Kerala IT employees' welfare organisation Prathidhwani on Tuesday announced that it would hold a protest in support of the affected workers.

In a statement, the organisation expressed "deep concern" over the reported sudden termination of around 900 employees from CorroHealth's Kochi and Kozhikode offices without adequate notice.

"While companies may make business decisions based on operational or commercial considerations, such decisions must be be implemented in a transparent, humane, and legally compliant manner. Employees deserve dignity, reasonable notice, statutory benefits and fair compensation. No one who has dedicated years of service should lose their livelihood overnight without fairness and compassion," the statement said.

Prathidhwani said the growing trend of unfair layoffs and forced resignations across the IT and IT-enabled services sector was alarming and needed to be addressed.

"Employees are the backbone of every organisation, and their rights and dignity must always be respected," it said.

The organisation said it stood in solidarity with the affected employees and all others facing similar challenges.

As part of its 'United Against Unfair Layoffs' campaign, Prathidhwani has called for a protest outside Infopark Phase I on Thursday, July 9, at 5.30 pm. It has invited employees, their families and supporters to participate in the demonstration, calling for justice, dignity and fairness in the workplace