Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) on July 20 opposed a proposal to extend the working hours of employees in the IT/ITES/BPO sector.
The state government is considering amending the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961. 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."
A senior labour department official told Moneycontrol that a proposal to increase working hours has been on the discussion table for some time. "There has been a demand from the IT/ITES/BPO sector to extend the timings, and stakeholder meetings are ongoing, but we haven't decided on it yet."
In a statement, KITU general secretary Suhas Adiga said: "The proposed 'Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2024' 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."
"This amendment will allow companies to adopt a two-shift system instead of the current three-shift system, potentially leading to one-third of the workforce losing their jobs," it said.
Further, the statement said: "The Karnataka government, in their eagerness to please corporate interests, neglects the fundamental rights of individuals to have personal and social lives. This amendment shows a disregard for workers as human beings, viewing them only as machinery to increase corporate profits."
"At a time when the world recognises that increased working hours negatively impact productivity, this proposal is out of touch. Many countries are enacting laws to acknowledge the right to disconnect as a basic employee right," it stated.
"KITU) urges the government to reconsider and warns that proceeding with the amendment will challenge the 20 lakh IT/ITeS employees in Karnataka. KITU calls on all sector employees to unite and resist this inhuman attempt," it added.
At a stakeholder meeting with the state labor and IT-BT departments, KITU highlighted studies on the health impacts of extended working hours on IT employees. "According to a report by the Knowledge Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), 45% of employees in the IT sector face mental health issues such as depression, and 55% experience physical health impacts. Increasing working hours will further exacerbate this situation. A WHO-ILO study indicates that increased working hours lead to an estimated 35% higher risk of death by stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease," the statement added.
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