More discussion will take place over allowing 14 hour work days in IT firms – Karnataka’s IT-BT Minister, Priyanka Kharge, stated on Monday that he is unaware of what IT firms have recommended in terms of expanding employee working hours from 12 to 14 hours. The minister stated that the Labour department has submitted a draft law, which will be discussed further before approval.
“I am not sure what suggestion ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services firms) made, but there was a law introduced by the Labor Department. We’ll check into it. There is a misunderstanding concerning the bill.
We will have a conversation, and we will gladly brief the media on it,” Priyanka Kharge told ANI. His reaction came after the Karnataka State IT/ITES Employees’ Union (KITU) expressed concerns over the Karnataka government’s reported decision to allow IT firms to increase their employees’ working hours from 12 to 14 hours.
They claimed that a 14-hour work day violates a worker’s fundamental rights. According to sources, IT businesses have proposed to the state government an amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act that would allow for a legal extension of work hours to 14 hours, or 12 hours plus two hours of overtime.
The Karnataka government recently had to put on hold a draft measure mandating local candidate reservation in private firms. The bill required 50% reserve in management positions and 70% reservation in non-management positions for local candidates. Investors and trade groups slammed the bill. As criticism of the law intensified, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared that it had been put on hold and that further consultation will take place on it. (ANI)