Karnataka govt to drop proposal to increase daily working hours, says employees union

Bengaluru, Jul 29 (PTI) The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) on Tuesday said that the state government has decided to drop the proposed move to increase the daily working hours in the IT/ITeS sector.

Sources in the Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad’s office confirmed that it has been decided not to increase the working hours of the employees.

Noting that the law permitted a maximum of 10 working hours per day including overtime, KITU had alleged that the proposed amendment would legalise 12-hour shifts and facilitate a two-shift system, potentially eliminating one-third of the workforce.

In a statement, the union, which has been protesting over the past one-and-a-half months against the proposal, said, "In a meeting with KITU office bearers, Additional Labour Commissioner G Manjunath communicated the decision to drop the proposed amendment." The proposed 'Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2025' sought to increase working hours by amending the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, KITU said.

The Bill was presented during a stakeholder meeting convened by the Labour Department on June 18.

KITU, the registered union representing IT sector employees in Karnataka, had strongly opposed the amendment during the meeting, stating that it was a direct attack on a worker’s fundamental right to a personal life.

"This relentless struggle compelled the Karnataka government to retreat from its attempt to extend working hours in the sector," KITU general secretary Suhas Adiga said. PTI GMS GMS KH