Karnataka Proposes Extending IT Employees' Working Hours, Unions Decry Move As Inhuman

The proposed 'Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2024' seeks to standardise a 14-hour workday, removing the current limit of 10 hours per day, including overtime

After receiving criticism over the job reservation bill, the Karnataka government is now considering extending the working hours of IT employees from the current 10 hours to 14 hours per day, sparking opposition from IT sector unions. The proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act to enable a 14-hour workday was discussed during a meeting convened by the labour department with industry stakeholders. The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) members have already met with Labour Minister Santosh Lad to voice their concerns regarding this development.

The proposed 'Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2024' seeks to standardise a 14-hour workday, removing the current limit of 10 hours per day, including overtime. IT sector unions have publicly protested against the amendment, denouncing it as 'inhuman' and warning of its potential impact on 2 million workers in the state.

"It will facilitate the IT/ITES companies to extend the daily hours of work indefinitely. This amendment will allow the companies to go for a two shift system instead of the currently existing three shift system and one-third of the workforce will be thrown out from their employment. During the meeting, KITU pointed out the studies on the health impact of extended working hours among the IT employees," said Suhas Adiga, general secretary of KITU, reported Business Standard.

"Karnataka Government in their hunger to please their corporate bosses, completely neglects the most fundamental right of any individual, the right to live. This amendment shows that the Government of Karnataka is not ready to consider the workers as human beings who need personal and social life to survive," Adiga said. 

According to a report by KCCI, 45 per cent of IT sector employees are experiencing mental health issues like depression and 55 per cent are dealing with physical health effects. Extending working hours will exacerbate this situation. Citing a WHO-ILO study, the union warned that longer working hours could increase the risk of death by stroke by an estimated 35 per cent and the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease by 17 per cent.

"The government considers them as only a machinery to increase the profit of the corporates to whom it serves. This amendment comes in a period when the world starts to accept the fact that increased working hours are negatively impacting productivity and more countries are coming with new legislations to accept the right to disconnect as a basic right of any employee," he added. 

"KITU calls upon all the IT/ITeS sector employees to unify and come forward to resist this inhuman attempt to impose slavery on us," he added. 

The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union has urged the government to reconsider and cautioned that proceeding with the amendment would directly challenge the 2 million employees in the IT/ITeS sector in Karnataka. Meanwhile, the Labour Minister has agreed to conduct another round of discussions before making a final decision.