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

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge and Labour Minister Santosh Lad (left to right)

Karnataka labour minister Santosh Lad on July 22 said that IT industries are pressuring the government to extend working hours.

"The proposal is from the IT industries, but the labour department is evaluating it. IT industries proposed this and are pressuring the government, but we want all industries to discuss this with us," he told reporters.

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

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."

IT unions, including Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) and Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), oppose a proposal to extend the working hours of employees in the IT/ITES/BPO sector.

A visibly irritated minister added, "I want all heads of industries to discuss this. They express opinions on everything. The so-called IT heads, owners, and directors have to come out, discuss, and give their opinions about it, and tell us whether it is required or not." said Lad.

Also, read: 'Totally inhumane': Internet reacts to Karnataka IT firms' 14-hour workday proposal

"There is dissent among the Unions and the proposal in the public domain. But government has not taken any decision so far," said Lad.

Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar said: "We will discuss with all the stakeholders and will only take a decision after that."

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

Meanwhile, Ashish Aggarwal, vice president & head of public policy, National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) , in a statement, said: "As Nasscom, we have not requested a 14-hour workday limit or a 70-hour workweek. We have not seen the copy of the Bill in Karnataka so cannot comment on it. We fully support the 48-hour workweek, which is the standard across the country".

"All we have asked of the states and the central government is to consider some flexibility within this 48-hour limit. This would help companies with a pan-India presence to standardise their operations. In Karnataka, we had a similar discussion with the IT department a few months ago. We did not, however, have a meeting with the labour department on this topic," the statement from Nasscom adds.

Sources said Santosh Lad is reportedly unhappy after the IT-BT department opposed the bill mandating job reservation for locals prepared by the labour department due to opposition from industries.

Karnataka government on July 17 decided to put on hold the implementation of a bill mandating job reservation for locals in the private sector. This comes against the backdrop of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) and industry leaders demanding the scrapping of the bill.

The Karnataka cabinet approved the draft State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, mandating 50 percent of management jobs and 70 percent of non management roles to be reserved for local candidates (Kannadigas). However, it is yet to be tabled in the legislature.

Also, read: After backlash, Karnataka puts job quota-for-locals bill on hold