According to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), HCL Ireland Information Systems Ltd denied misleading a client regarding an Irish employee’s project role, attributing the dispute to standard client-positioning strategies during enterprise resource planning rollouts.
HCL Management Denies Misleading Client Over Project Roles
Ram Samant, an associate vice-president at HCL, stated during a WRC hearing that the global IT firm did not lie to its packaging client, WestRock. According to Samant, organizational charts shown to the customer were used to build confidence rather than reflect the final team structure. The testimony addressed claims made by Derek Canning, a former IT project manager pursuing a claim under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977.
Canning challenged his 2024 redundancy by producing 2023 screenshots that listed him as the commercial project manager on the “green team” covering Ireland and the UK. When Canning questioned whether the firm lied to the customer, Samant responded, according to the tribunal, “No, we don’t lie to customers; we position to customers.” Canning replied, “That’s not positioning, that’s lying.”
Did you know? Enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations often require managing dual teams—such as HCL’s division of labor between Continental Europe and the Ireland/UK region across 35 sites.
Project Cost Pressures and Restructuring at WestRock
The WRC heard that HCL let go of all seven of its staff and contractors on the project in 2024, including Canning. According to the tribunal evidence, this workforce reduction followed months of project delays that forced HCL to agree to a €1 million discount on the major IT contract with WestRock.
In 2022, HCL was hired to set up manufacturing software and a central ERP database across 35 European sites, including locations in Limerick and Belfast. Samant testified that after the first site went live in April 2024, WestRock—then preparing to merge with Smurfit Kappa—decided to conserve money by operating with a smaller team and a slower timeline. Consequently, the firm maintained that Canning’s responsibilities were transferred to a senior technical manager based in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the basis of Derek Canning’s claim against HCL?
Derek Canning is pursuing a claim under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, challenging his alleged redundancy from HCL Ireland Information Systems Ltd in 2024.
Why did HCL restructure its project team in 2024?
According to WRC testimony, HCL let off its staff and contractors after agreeing to a €1 million discount on the WestRock project following delays, prompting the client to scale back operations to conserve funds.
What was the scope of the HCL and WestRock project?
The project involved establishing a manufacturing software and central database system across 35 European sites, including locations in Limerick and Belfast, managed by two separate teams of 33 people each.
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