After furore over Karnataka plan to extend IT work hours, Priyank Kharge says only for specific sectors

Karnataka IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge

With the Karnataka government under fire over a proposal to extend the working hours of the IT sector employees, IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge has said the rule won’t apply to all companies.

The state government is facing the ire of the IT employees barely days after it was forced to put on hold a proposed law promising job quota for locals in the private sector.

"The proposal will be applicable to sectors like manufacturing and service-oriented industries that require longer working hours," state Information Technology and Biotechnology minister Kharge told the legislative council on July 23.

His statement came a day after labour minister Santosh Lad said IT industries were pressuring the government to extend working hours.

Also, read: Karnataka labour minister: IT industries pressuring govt to extend working hours

Kharge said there was some misunderstanding. "The request came from specific industries like packaging and manufacturing, which have requested this extension. This does not apply to all industries but to some specific sectors and will be implemented after consultation with all stakeholders," Kharge, who had earlier stepped in to calm the industry anger over the quota issue, said.

The state government is considering amending the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, following representations from industries.

According to the proposal, an "employee 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".

Several IT staff unions, including the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) and the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), have opposed the proposal to extend the working hours.

Also, read: Karnataka IT Employees Union opposes proposal to extend working hours

KITU general secretary Suhas Adiga said the proposed law was an attempts to normalise a 14-hour workday.

“The existing act allows a maximum of 10 hours of work per day, including overtime, which has been completely lifted in the current amendment. It will enable IT/ITES companies to extend the daily hours of work indefinitely," he said.

The IT industry body National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) said it has not requested a 14-hour workday or a 70-hour workweek.

Also, read: NITES opposes Karnataka's proposed IT work hours extension in letter to labour ministry