Karnataka IT firms propose 14-hour workday, employees fume

Karnataka, July 21 :  IT firms in Karnataka submitted a proposal to the state government demanding an extension of employee working hours to 14 hours, sources said. The move has met with severe opposition from employees, who called it inhuman, citing health issues and layoff concerns.

According to sources, the state government is considering amending the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961. The IT companies want their proposal to be included in the amendment, which would legally extend work hours to 14 hours (12 hours + 2 hours of overtime).

The new proposal by the IT sector says, “employees in the IT/ITeS/BPO sector may be required or allowed to work more than 12 hours a day and not exceeding 125 hours in three continuous months”.

The government has held an initial meeting on this matter and further decisions will be taken soon, sources added. The proposal is likely to be discussed by the Cabinet.

STRONG RESISTANCE FROM EMPLOYEES

The move to extend working hours has been met with strong resistance from the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU). The union released a statement warning that one-third of the workforce will be out of employment as the number of working shifts will be reduced.

“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 of their employment,” it said.

The union also pointed out studies on the health impact of extended working hours among IT employees.

“As per the report of KCCI, 45% of employees in the IT sector are facing mental health issues such as depression and 55% facing physical health impacts. Increasing working hours will further aggravate this situation,” it said.

The employees’ union alleged that the state seems to view employees as mere machines rather than human beings and urged the Siddaramaiah government to reconsider and not implement the demand put forth by IT firms.

“This amendment shows that the government of Karnataka is not ready to consider workers as human beings who need personal and social life to survive. Instead, it considers them as only a machinery to increase the profit of the corporates whom it serves,” the statement further said.

-PTI