JOIN USIT firm Wipro on Wednesday night claimed that the UK Employment Tribunal has upheld the dismissal of Shreya Ukil as appropriate and rejected claims of adverse cultural attitude towards women in the organisation.
The statement was issued hours after Shreya Ukil, a former Wipro employee, claimed that she won a landmark case of sexual discrimination and victimisation against Wipro at the London Employment Tribunal.
The Wipro statement said: “The company has built its business over the years by ensuring it adheres to the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and ethical corporate practices. Any transgression of these beliefs and policies will continue to be dealt with expeditiously and with the strictest action.”
It was, however, silent on whether any settlement has been reached with the dismissed employee.
A statement issued by Ukil’s counsel Slater Gordon from London read: “The Wipro leadership team, including its (then) chief executive T K Kurien, conspired to push Ukil out of her job and her role in Britain.”
Ukil, 40, moved the tribunal in September 2014, against the company’s unequal pay and harassment three months after she was fired as Wipro’s Head of Sales, Europe. She worked in the company for 10 years.
The statement claimed that the tribunal had observed that the direction (to sack Ukil) had come from the very top and was followed through with considerable resolve. “Ukil was victimised by Wipro’s leadership for speaking up about sex discrimination, unequal pay and a culture of sexism,” the statement said.
Ukil filed the lawsuit with the tribunal for a compensation of £1million, claiming she was forced into an affair by 54-year-old Manoj Punja, a married man, who was head of its business process outsourcing (BPO) office in London.
But the company sacked Ukil and Punja and stated that they were relieved from service after an internal inquiry established that they were into a relationship but did not report about it to the company as a policy.