Infosys says media report of firing 5,000 staff wrong

Employees walk in front of a pyramid-shaped building at the Infosys campus in the Electronic City area of Bangalore September 4, 2012.

(Reuters) - India's Infosys Ltd (INFY.NS) said on Friday a newspaper report it was planning to fire up to 5,000 poorly performing workers was "wrong", although it encourages "chronic under-performers" to leave as part of its staff management.

Infosys INFY.O, India's second-largest software services exporter, was sacking up to 5,000 poor performers to trim costs, the Economic Times reported earlier.

Infosys, which is also listed in the United States, added the number of potential under-performers that could leave the company was "significantly lower" than the 5,000 quoted in the media report.

(Reporting by Harichandan Arakali in BANGALORE; Editing by Rafael Nam)