Kerala: Amid protests, Bevco launches trial run of shift system for staff in outlets
Under the existing work pattern, the working hours of outlet employees are from 9.30 am to 9.30 pm, with employees being paid an additional allowance for extra duty of four hours from 5.30 pm to 9.30 pm. However, in the trial run started at Piravom and Kanhangad, there are four shifts - 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, 1.30 pm to 9.30 pm, and 12 pm to 8 pm as well as a break shift from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm (4 hours) and 5.30 pm to 9.30 pm (4 hours). In the break shift, the same employees have to work both four-hour shifts.
The trial run plan also insists that the shop in-charge and shop assistant should work for 12 hours from 9.30 am to 9.30 pm and are eligible for additional allowances.
Harshita Attaluri, CMD of Bevco, said that the primary goal of implementing the shift system is to alleviate the burden of extended 12-hour duties for employees, thereby fostering a more relaxed and productive work environment at Bevco outlets.
'The Bevco employees work under difficult circumstances with 12-hour shifts and they have to work even on Sundays. This leaves them with little time to spend with their families or attend to personal needs. Additionally, with day-care centres and play schools closing by 5 pm, their children have nowhere to go, causing a lot of hardship for many people. It is in this situation that we have started the shift system on a pilot basis in two outlets,' she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
4 hours ago
- First Post
China's Premier Li Qiang says AI progress needs regulation, not just speed, calls for global cooperation
China's Premier Li Qiang called for urgent global consensus on artificial intelligence safety and governance, announcing a new international cooperation body. read more Chinese Premier Li Qiang is seen on a screen as he speaks at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. AFP China's Premier Li Qiang warned on Saturday that the growth of artificial intelligence must be balanced against security risks, stating that global agreement was urgently required even as the technology race between Beijing and Washington showed no signs of slowing down. His comments come just days after US President Donald Trump launched an ambitious low-regulation policy aimed at solidifying the country's dominance in the rapidly evolving area, vowing to 'remove red tape and onerous regulation' that may stymie private sector AI development. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Opening the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Saturday, Li emphasised the importance of governance and open-source development, announcing the formation of a Chinese-led body for international AI cooperation. 'The risks and challenges brought by artificial intelligence have drawn widespread attention… How to find a balance between development and security urgently requires further consensus from the entire society,' the premier said. He gave no further details about the newly announced organisation, though state media later reported 'the preliminary consideration' was that it would be headquartered in Shanghai. The organisation would 'promote global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits', state news agency Xinhua reported, without elaborating on its set-up or mechanisms. At a time when AI is being integrated across virtually all industries, its uses have raised major questions, including about the spread of misinformation, its impact on employment and the potential loss of technological control. In a speech at WAIC on Saturday, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Geoffrey Hinton compared the situation to keeping 'a very cute tiger cub as a pet'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD To survive, he said, you need to ensure you can train it not to kill you when it grows up. Pledge to share AI advances The enormous strides AI technology has made in recent years have seen it move to the forefront of the US-China rivalry. Premier Li said China would 'actively promote' the development of open-source AI, adding Beijing was willing to share advances with other countries, particularly developing ones. 'If we engage in technological monopolies, controls and blockage, artificial intelligence will become the preserve of a few countries and a few enterprises,' he said. Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu warned against 'unilateralism and protectionism' at a later meeting. Washington has expanded its efforts in recent years to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, concerned that they can be used to advance Beijing's military systems and erode US tech dominance. Li, in his speech, highlighted 'insufficient supply of computing power and chips' as a bottleneck to AI progress. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD China has made AI a pillar of its plans for technological self-reliance, with the government pledging a raft of measures to boost the sector. In January, Chinese startup DeepSeek unveiled an AI model that performed as well as top US systems despite using less powerful chips. 'Defining test' In a video message played at the WAIC opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said AI governance would be 'a defining test of international cooperation'. The ceremony saw the French president's AI envoy, Anne Bouverot, underscore 'an urgent need' for global action and for the United Nations to play a 'leading role'. Bouverot called for a framework 'that is open, transparent and effective, giving each and everyone an opportunity to have their views taken into account'. Li's speech 'posed a clear contrast to the Trump administration's 'America First' view on AI' and the US measures announced this week, said WAIC attendee George Chen, a partner at Washington-based policy consultancy The Asia Group. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The world is now clearly divided into at least three camps: the United States and its allies, China (and perhaps many Belt and Road or Global South countries), and the EU – which prefers regulating AI through legislation, like the EU AI Act,' Chen told AFP. At an AI summit in Paris in February, 58 countries including China, France and India – as well as the European Union and African Union Commission – called for enhanced coordination on AI governance. But the United States warned against 'excessive regulation', and alongside the United Kingdom, refused to sign the summit's appeal for an 'open', 'inclusive' and 'ethical' AI.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
China urges global consensus on balancing AI development, security
China's Premier Li Qiang warned Saturday that artificial intelligence development must be weighed against the security risks, saying global consensus was urgently needed even as the tech race between Beijing and Washington shows no sign of remarks came just days after US President Donald Trump unveiled an aggressive low-regulation strategy aimed at cementing US dominance in the fast-moving field, promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Opening the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Saturday, Li emphasised the need for governance and open-source development, announcing the establishment of a Chinese-led body for international AI cooperation. "The risks and challenges brought by artificial intelligence have drawn widespread attention... How to find a balance between development and security urgently requires further consensus from the entire society," the premier said. Li said China would "actively promote" the development of open-source AI , adding Beijing was willing to share advances with other countries, particularly developing ones. "If we engage in technological monopolies, controls and blockage, artificial intelligence will become the preserve of a few countries and a few enterprises," he said. "Only by adhering to openness, sharing and fairness in access to intelligence can more countries and groups benefit from (AI)." The premier highlighted "insufficient supply of computing power and chips" as a bottleneck. Washington has expanded its efforts in recent years to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, concerned that these can be used to advance Beijing's military systems and erode US tech dominance. For its part, China has made AI a pillar of its plans for technological self-reliance, with the government pledging a raft of measures to boost the sector. In January, Chinese startup DeepSeek unveiled an AI model that performed as well as top US systems despite using less powerful chips. 'Pet tiger cub' At a time when AI is being integrated across virtually all industries, its uses have raised major ethical questions, from the spread of misinformation to its impact on employment, or the potential loss of technological control. In a speech at WAIC on Saturday, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Geoffrey Hinton compared the situation to keeping "a very cute tiger cub as a pet". "To survive", he said, you need to ensure you can train it not to kill you when it grows up. In a video message played at the WAIC opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said AI governance would be "a defining test of international cooperation". The ceremony also saw the French president's AI envoy, Anne Bouverot, underscore the "an urgent need" for global action. At an AI summit in Paris in February, 58 countries including China, France and India -- as well as the European Union and African Union Commission -- called for enhanced coordination on AI governance. But the United States warned against "excessive regulation", and alongside the United Kingdom, refused to sign the summit's appeal for an "open", "inclusive" and "ethical" AI.
India.com
5 hours ago
- India.com
Months after Ratan Tata's death, Tata Group makes big move, acquires 117-year-old company for Rs 24000000000; big worry for Mukesh Ambani due to...
(File) In a major move to further strengthen its grip on the luxury jewelry sector, Titan, the watchmaking and fashion products arm of the Titan Group, has acquired a controlling stake in Dubai-based jewellery brand Damas LLC (UAE). According to the details, Titan Holdings International FZCO has acquired a 67% stake in the 117-year-old brand from Mannai Corporation QPSC. How much Titan paid for the company? As per reports, Tata Group-owned Titan acquired Damas Jewellery for 1,038 million dirhams (about Rs 2,357.25 crore), one of the reasons behind the high-priced deal being the global popularity of the Dubai-based brand. Founded in 1907, Damas Jewellery, is a highly-popular jewelry brand in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. The brand has 146 stores across the Middle East, and is known for its high-quality gems and jewelry, as well as impeccable craftsmanship. Why Tata Group's deal is a concern for Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance? The Tata Group's landmark deal is expected to bolster its already popular designer jewelry brand Tanishq, which is already launched in several countries outside India, including Middle East and the United States. Titan is looking to build upon the success of Tanishq, and acquire a major share in the global jewellery market, and the Damas acquisition is giant step in that direction. Additionally, the deal could potentially catapult Titan far ahead of its competitors in India, including Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Gold, Malabar Gold and Kalyan Jewelers,
