Karnataka IT industry proposes 14-hour workdays; unions oppose

Bengaluru: Within a week of shelving its Bill mandating reservation of corporate jobs for native candidates, the Karnataka government has proposed extending the work hours in the IT/ITes firms to 14 hours from the present 10 hours, inevitably raising a lot of hackles.

While the labour regulations presently allow a 10-hour workday, inclusive of overtime, the proposed amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act of 1961, will stretch it to 12-regular work day + 2-hour overtime.

Predictably, the Karnataka State IT/ITes Employees Union (KITU) is up in arms, calling it the ‘biggest ever attack on the working class in this era’. A meeting called with its members by the Siddaramaiah-led government reached no resolution.

In a press statement, the union informed that it has staunchly opposed the proposed amendment when it was tabled on Friday, in the presence of various industry stakeholders and the IT-BT ministry officials, pursuant to which the meeting was called the same day. The labour ministry has sought another round of discussion before taking a final call.

At a time when work-life-balance is at the centre of human resource discussions, the state government’s move has come as a jolt out of the blue. To defend its position, the union deployed a study by the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation that links increased work hours to risk of death by stroke and also ischemic heart condition.

It also relied on a report by the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry that found that 45% of employees in the IT sector suffer from mental health issues, while 55% are faced with physical health impacts. It argued that increased work hours will only aggravate these situations.

“I don’t think that the government will give a nod to the proposal and entertain such lengthy hours. If at all it is approved, we will surely oppose this,” said Ramesh Sanga, President, Karnataka Govt. Secretariat Employees’ Association, Bengaluru.

Besides the unions, head-hunters are also appalled by the proposition. "Making this a policy may only impact the talent that we need to hire for employers within the state. We should focus on providing the right skills, showing that our employees work at optimal productivity as opposed to only putting in long hours with low productivity," said Neeti Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Digital.

"While the proposal aims to meet business needs, we believe it's crucial for companies to consider the health conditions and personal lives of their workforce. The need for a 14-hour workday and a 70-hour work week should be carefully implemented using double or triple shifts which could be a more sustainable solution,” commented Dipesh Khushalani, Head of Technology Risk, Pierag Consulting LLP.