NITES opposes Karnataka's proposed IT work hours extension in letter to labour ministry

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Pune-based IT industry body Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has written to the labour ministry opposing the proposed amendment of extending working hours for IT employees in Karnataka. NITES has also threatened a nationwide strike by turning off computers if the amendment is enacted.

The state government is considering amending the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, which proposes that 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.

"We vehemently oppose any such amendment and wish to vehemently express our strongest dissent," NITES wrote in the letter to the ministry.

Harpreet Singh Saluja, President of NITES, said employees in Bengaluru and elsewhere already spend approximately 3 hours commuting each day. Extending the work hours would have a detrimental effect on employees, he added.

“On behalf of IT employees across Karnataka and the entire nation, we urge the government to reconsider any amendment that seeks to extend working hours beyond reasonable limits.

On July 20, the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) opposed the proposal to extend the working hours of employees in the IT/ITES/BPO sector. Moneycontrol had reported that a proposal to increase working hours has been on the discussion table for some time, citing a senior labour department official. "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."

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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."