Satyam Computers sacks over 30 employees

Satyam Computers has terminated over 30 employees following internal audit findings that they may have 'fudged' bills after being relocated
to Chennai from Hyderabad.

These project associates allege foul play by the company. "They have taken bills that are almost one and half years old and are asking for us to prove its validity. Even if we are able to prove that the bills are original and not fudged as they claim, they are unwilling to listen to us," a few associates told The Times of India.

While some are planning to take legal recourse, even as their salaries have been withheld by the company and profiles removed from the company records.

"The company is trying to lay us off giving such trivial reasons. The HR is not even willing to listen to us and we are not even given a chance to resign," an employee said.

The bills in question relate to nearly Rs 3,000 incurred by the associates after their transfer last year. The associates insist that they were entitled for this amount and even this was not reimbursed by the company.

"We had used packers and movers a year and half back and how can we prove that we used their service? Satyam management is not willing to listen to us," another employee said.

"They are terminating us because of the meltdown, but are being made scapegoats with such unwarranted reasons. A list of nearly 400 people to be terminated across the country, is being prepared by the company," one of them said. S V Krishnan, Satyam's global head of HR, said this is a 'routine process' of the company, where a separate audit team reviewed bills.

"They might complain that they are being laid off because of the global economic slowdown. But it is never the intent of the company to put people away just to save some amount of money... This is done as part of good governance. The audit is done by an independent body. There were areas with certain bills where doubts over 'potential fraud' arose. For example, two of the associates might have moved their belongings together but might have submitted separate bills as showing they had moved it separately or they might have submitted false bills. We want to be above board on integrity issues."

Source: EconomicTimes