Symbolic picture.
– Photo: PTI
Expansion
The uproar over the bill providing job reservation in the private sector in Karnataka had not subsided when another new controversy has arisen. The state government is now planning to increase the working hours of IT employees. However, this has been opposed by the unions of the IT sector. In fact, the government is planning to increase the working hours from the current 10 hours to more than 12 hours per day.
The proposed amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act has sparked outrage among IT sector unions, who argue that increasing working hours could have a disastrous impact on the mental and physical health of employees.
The proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act to facilitate a 12-hour working day was tabled at a meeting convened by the labour department with various stakeholders in the industry. Representatives of the Karnataka State IT/ITES Employees Union (KITU) have already met labour minister Santosh Lad and expressed their concerns over the move.
What is the new plan?
According to the new proposal, ‘An employee working in the IT/ITES/BPO sector may be allowed to work for more than 12 hours in a day and cannot be allowed to work for more than 125 hours in three consecutive months.’
what does KITU say
“This will help IT/ITES companies to increase the daily working hours indefinitely. This amendment will allow companies to adopt a two shift system instead of the three shift system currently in place and one third of the employees will be thrown out of their employment. Also, it will be dangerous for the health of IT workers,” said KITU general secretary Suhas Adiga.
In view of the protests, the Labour Minister has agreed to hold discussions before taking a final decision. The government’s decision is likely to have far-reaching implications for the well-being of the state’s IT industry and its employees.