 "After TCS, Tata Steel suspends 35 employees for ethical misconduct")
Just as the news of TCS firing six of its employees in the bribes-for-jobs scandal was cooling down, another Tata Group company, Tata Steel kicked out 35 of its employees as they were found in contravention of the company's code of conduct, The Times of India (ToI) has reported.
Chairman of Tata Steel, N Chandrasekaran, said that action had been taken against 38 employees dismissed by the company. Sharing details about the action, he said that 35 individuals were fired for "unacceptable practices bordering on ethical issues", and another three were fired for sexual misconduct, the newspaper reported.
The action was taken after multiple whistleblower complaints regarding misuse of authority, conflict of interest and contract management agreements came to the fore, and the company decided to look into the complaints.
Speaking to the shareholders, Chairman N Chandrasekaran said that the company had made important acquisitions in the last few years and has started a drive for an open culture. He said, "Employees can express his or her concerns. It could be on sexual harassment or a practice they noticed at the company. We are encouraging people to record their grievances."
Chandrasekaran said that we strive to maintain global benchmarks and continue to push a culture where we uphold the highest values and have a zero-tolerance policy. Speaking on the subject, Chandrasekaran, who is also the chairman of Tata Group, said that he is considering appointing a group chief safety officer to "look into safety aspects of all its companies."
The statement is significant given that Tata Steel's Odisha plant had a blast in a furnace that injured 18 people, the ToI report said.