Is My Company Unfairly Replacing Long-Time Employees? Can RTI Help Uncover the Truth?

My company has been constantly letting employees go in the name of redundancy (senior folks who served in the company for around 15 to 20 years) and hiring the VP and GM's friends in the name of new blood. Though the skill set required for the job is pretty much the same as the people who were made redundant, I believe for Labor Department filing they are forging and providing false information or declarations.

Can we use RTI to find out the details of the layoffs and new people hired and their skill sets?

Any other suggestions to expose this company? Also, illegally they make people from Dubai work alternate weeks in Bangalore without paying due taxes to the government and without valid work permits.

If a complaint is made to the labor commissioner or government authorities, will they be able to investigate?

Dear Anony,

RTI does not apply to private organizations! It only applies to government offices and government-funded projects. If you have concrete evidence against non-compliance to laws and taxation, you may file a complaint at the labor office or with the income tax department.

Regards,
Rahul

Dear Anonymous,

You have mentioned that employees with long tenure are being tagged as redundant and are being separated from the company. How are they being separated?

1) Resignation
2) Termination
3) Voluntary separation

Please note that the mode of separation is other than resignation. Even though the said employees are non-workmen, they may try to raise an industrial dispute under section 2A of the ID Act.

RTI can be done even for private firms where the sought information is likely to be available with government offices, and the information sought is not confidential from a business competition viewpoint.

Regards, Shailesh Parikh
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy-Reasons]
Vadodara

Dear Parikh Sir,

I fully agree with you that an industrial dispute can be raised by an individual workman against retrenchment. If the retrenched person does not fall under the definition of "workman," can this section be applicable to him? This is for academic interest only.