Bad news for techies: Karnataka govt plans to increase working hours to 12 hours per day; IT unions oppose move
Live Events
Trade Unions against proposed rise in Karnataka working hours
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government has alleged move to extend daily working hours in certain sectors, including IT, from 10 hours to 12 hours, a move met with resistance from several trade unions.As per Section 7 of the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, the working hours per day cannot exceed nine hours and the maximum hours of overtime cannot exceed 10 hours. The Act also puts an upper limit of 50 hours on overtime (OT) work for three months. Through the proposed changes, the government seeks to extend the maximum working hours to 10 hours a day and the maximum overtime to 12 hours a day. It also seeks to increase the overtime limit from 50 to 144 hours in three months, according to a Deccan Herald report.The TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh has decided to raise the maximum working hours from nine to 10 per day as part of ease of doing business and attracting investors.The Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Minister K Parthasarathy said that it has been decided to amend labour laws to make them 'favourable' to workers and investors.According to the I&PR Minister, women were not allowed to work in the night shifts earlier but now they can work with safeguards such as consent, transport facility, security and surveillance.He said the workplace of women during night shifts should be fully illuminated."When you work extra, income will increase. By these rules women can work in the formal sector. They empower women economically and promote gender inclusion and industrial growth. Also contribute to women's empowerment," he said.Meanwhile, K Ramakrishna, State Secretary of CPI, opposed the NDA alliance government's stand on labour laws amendments. He alleged that the Central and state governments are working against the interests of workers.Several trade unions on Wednesday strongly opposed the Karnataka government's alleged move to extend daily working hours in certain sectors, including IT.The state Labour Department on Wednesday convened a meeting with the industry representatives and trade union leaders to discuss a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, which reportedly seeks to increase the daily working hours to twelve.Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) said it opposed the proposal, calling it a form of "modern-day slavery".It appealed to all employees across the sector to unite and resist the proposed changes, which it claims would gravely impact work-life balance and job security.KITU said its leaders Suhas Adiga and Lenil Babu were among those present in the meeting.Noting that the law permitted a maximum of 10 working hours per day including overtime, KITU alleged that the proposed amendment would legalise 12-hour shifts and facilitate a two-shift system, potentially eliminating one-third of the workforce.KITU charged that this move prioritises corporate profits over employee welfare and undermines workers' fundamental rights.'The government is attempting to normalise inhuman conditions. This amendment is not about productivity—it's about pleasing corporate bosses by turning human beings into machines,' Adiga alleged.KITU cited alarming mental health statistics, and said the 'State Emotional Wellbeing Report 2024,' found that 90 per cent of corporate employees under 25 suffer from anxiety.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
21 minutes ago
- NDTV
Migrant Auto Driver Beaten On Camera Days After "Hindi Bolunga" Remark
Palghar: A migrant auto-rickshaw driver in Maharashtra's Palghar district was assaulted in full public view by supporters of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after a prior confrontation over Marathi language had gone viral on social media. A few days earlier, an argument between a man named Bhavesh Padolia, a migrant from Uttar Pradesh, and an auto-rickshaw driver -- himself a migrant -- at Virar station went viral on social media The video showed the rickshaw driver declaring, "Main Hindi bolunga" ("I will speak in Hindi") repeatedly when asked why he was not speaking in Marathi. According to Mr Padolia's version of events, he had questioned the driver about his failure to use Marathi in public. The driver responded by saying he would rather speak in Hindi and Bhojpuri. On Saturday, the rickshaw driver was confronted by a group of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS supporters near Virar railway station. Visuals from the site show the driver being slapped multiple times, including by women members of the groups. He was then compelled to apologise publicly to Mr Padolia, his sister, and to the state of Maharashtra, for what the attackers claimed was an insult to the Marathi language and cultural icons. Uday Jadhav, the Virar city chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), who was seen at the location, later confirmed that the group had "responded in the true Shiv Sena style." "If anyone dares to insult the Marathi language, Maharashtra, or Marathi people, they will get a reply in the true Shiv Sena style. We will not sit silent," Mr Jadhav said. "The driver had the audacity to speak ill of Maharashtra and Marathi manoos. He was taught a befitting lesson. We made him apologise to the people of the state and to those he had offended." No Police Complaint Yet Despite the public nature of the assault, the Palghar district police have yet to register an official case. "We have seen the viral video and are verifying the facts, but as of now, no complaint has been received from either party," the police said, as quoted by news agency PTI. The Context The incident is the latest in a string of attacks fuelled by language politics in Maharashtra. On July 1, MNS workers in Thane slapped a street food vendor for refusing to converse in Marathi. That incident also drew widespread criticism and led to the arrest of seven party workers. In response to that episode, traders in Bhayander organised a counter-protest, accusing MNS activists of moral policing. Tensions escalated, prompting the MNS and several aligned groups to organise a protest march on July 8, defending what they called Marathi "asmita" (pride). That march, held in the Mira-Bhayander area, saw the participation of leaders from the Shiv Sena (UBT), the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and other opposition groups. Police had earlier denied permission for the protest, citing intelligence reports of possible unrest. The linguistic tensions are also being viewed against the backdrop of recent state education policy moves. The Maharashtra government's now-rolled-back mandate to introduce Hindi in primary schools prompted criticism from pro-Marathi groups, who accused the state of diluting regional identity in favour of national linguistic integration. MNS workers staged protests in Mira Road and other parts of Thane against the directive, which they viewed as a threat to Marathi's primacy in education.
The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Auto-rickshaw driver thrashed by Sena (UBT) workers over 'anti-Marathi' remarks; video goes viral
A video showing an auto-rickshaw driver being beaten up allegedly by Shiv Sena (UBT) workers in Maharashtra's Palghar district for 'anti-Marathi' remarks has gone viral on social media, further fuelling controversy over the language issue in the state. Police on Sunday (June 13, 2025) said they saw the video but had not received any formal complaint in the matter so far, hence no case has been registered as of now. A local functionary of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed the auto-rickshaw driver was taught a befitting lesson and asserted that anyone insulting the Marathi language and the state will be given a reply in the "true Shiv Sena style". The auto-rickshaw driver, a migrant residing in the Virar area of Palghar, had allegedly made derogatory remarks against the Marathi language, Maharashtra and Marathi icons. Its clip surfaced on social media earlier, drawing sharp reactions online and from local political groups. In the new video of the confrontation, which took place on Saturday (July 12, 2025), the auto-rickshaw driver is seen being slapped allegedly by a group of Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, including women, on a busy road near Virar railway station. He is then made to publicly apologise to a man and his sister, with whom he allegedly misbehaved earlier, as well as to the state for "insulting" it and its linguistic and cultural heritage. Shiv Sena (UBT) Virar city chief Uday Jadhav, who was present at the scene, later justified the action. "If anyone dares to insult the Marathi language, Maharashtra, or Marathi people, they will get a reply in the true Shiv Sena style. We will not sit silent," Mr. Jadhav told reporters. "The driver had the audacity to speak ill of Maharashtra and Marathi manoos. He was taught a befitting lesson. We made him apologise to the people of the state and to those he had offended," he added. When contacted, a senior police official confirmed the incident occurred on Saturday (July 12, 2025), but said no formal complaint had been lodged so far. "We have seen the viral video and are verifying the facts, but as of now, no complaint has been received from either party," the official said. Amid the language controversy, workers of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) slapped a food stall owner at Bhayander in neighbouring Thane district on July 1 for not speaking in Marathi. Traders from the area later staged a protest against it. On July 8, the MNS and other groups led a protest march in Mira Bhayandar area to defend the Marathi 'asmita' (pride) and counter the traders' agitation. The march witnessed the detention of several activists by the police, with leaders and workers of the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) also joining the protest.
Hans India
28 minutes ago
- Hans India
BJP leader shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Patna
Patna, July 13: In yet another brazen killing that has rocked Bihar's capital, BJP leader and former Kisan Morcha functionary Surendra Kewat was shot dead by two unidentified assailants while working in his fields, police confirmed on Sunday. The incident comes just days after the shocking murder of businessman Gopal Khemka outside his home. According to police officer Kanhaiya Singh, Kewat was shot by two men on a motorcycle. "Surendra was working in the fields when unidentified men shot him dead. He was rushed to AIIMS, but he succumbed to his injuries during treatment," Singh told reporters. The police said the statements of Kewat's family members and other relatives have been recorded, and efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the culprits. Forensic teams have been deployed to the crime scene, and multiple raids are being conducted in and around Patna to nab the absconding shooters. The murder has triggered a fresh political storm in Bihar, with Opposition leaders blaming the NDA government for the rising crime graph. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, lashed out at the state administration over the successive killings. Taking to X, Yadav wrote in Hindi (loosely translated), "And now, a BJP leader shot dead in Patna! What to say, and to whom? Is there anyone in the NDA government willing to listen to the truth or admit their mistakes?" "Everyone knows about the CM's health, but what are the two useless BJP deputy chief ministers doing?" he added, accusing the NDA of leadership vacuum and governance failures in the state. In a redux of prominent businessman Gopal Khemka and sand trader Ramakant Yadav's murder a few days ago, a trader from Patna, Vikram Jha, owner of Trishna Mart, was gunned down in a late-night incident in the Zakariapur area under Ram Krishna Nagar Police Station limits on Friday. In recent days, high-profile cases have raised safety concerns in the city. After the Gopal Khemka murder case, there was a deadly attack on sand trader Ramakant Yadav, and most recently, trader Vikram Jha was also gunned down in a late-night incident.
