Junk proposal on 14-hour work day
The Karnataka government’s move to extend working hours for IT and ITES employees to 14 hours a day, or 70 hours a week, is retrograde. The Karnataka IT industry’s demand and the government’s favourable response to it come soon after Infosys co-founder N R Narayanamurthy suggested that youth should be prepared to work for 70 hours a week. The proposed amendment, which requires IT employees to work for extended hours, overrides the provisions of the Karnataka Shops and Establishments Act, which has fixed a ceiling of 10 hours a day plus two hours of overtime. The Karnataka State IT/ITES Employees Union (KITU), which has strongly opposed the move, said the proposal would promote a culture of slavery and cause burnout among the already stressed IT employees. If implemented, it would also lead to the introduction of the two-shift system, replacing the current three shift one, which according to the union will lead to retrenchment of at least a third of the workforce. The industry body, National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), has also categorically stated that it does not support the demand of the
state’s IT sector.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) mandates a 40-hour week while underlining that continuous efforts should be made to reduce the hours of work. The average US employee works five days a week for eight hours, totalling 40 hours a week. Some countries have moved to a four-day week to make employees happier and healthier. Doctors who repeatedly advise a work-life balance warn that long work hours increase the risk of multiple diseases and could even lead to premature death.
The IT and ITES industries, no doubt, contribute significantly to Karnataka’s gross domestic product (GDP), but that does not give them the right to make unreasonable demands. Long pampered with tax holidays, cheap land and such other incentives, the industry should don the role of a good corporate citizen. While the government has a responsibility to provide a conducive atmosphere for the industry, it has a bigger role in protecting the rights of the workers. It should not promote an atmosphere hostile to them. It is unfortunate that the government has decided to pursue this regressive proposal under the stewardship of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who prides himself on being a socialist. This is an idea that deserves to be junked without any further discussion.