Labour pain: Karnataka's IT crowd fight 14-hour workday schedule

The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) submitted a memorandum on Saturday to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, the Labour Department, and the Labour Commissioner, protesting against the government’s proposal to increase IT professionals’ working hours. Over 300 IT employees participated in a protest at Freedom Park.

G Manjunath, Additional Commissioner of Labour, received the memorandum and stated that he would do his utmost to persuade the government not to proceed with legalising a 14-hour workday.

KITU has already mobilised 32 units with support from over 11,000 IT professionals through gate campaigns in IT parks. “By December this year, we aim to mobilise at least one lakh professionals,” said KITU secretary Sooraj Nidiyanga.

Ram Kumar, a software engineer for the past 12 years, mentioned that the proposed amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Bill would not only increase health risks for IT professionals but also push them towards unemployment due to shift changes.

The memorandum highlights that extended working hours would be particularly challenging for women,
who make up nearly one-third of the IT workforce in
Karnataka.

Citing studies from the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organization, KITU General Secretary Suhas Adiga warned of the adverse health effects associated with longer working hours.