Press release of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)
PRESS RELEASE
22nd July 2024
CITU denounces Karnataka govt move for 14-hour work day in IT sector
Centre of Indian Trade Unions denounces Karnataka Government move to increase the working hours in IT/ITES/BPO sector to 14 hours a day with the proposed amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act 1961. The proposed amendment poses an attack on the basic right of any worker to have a personal life by forcing a 14-hour work day. It will facilitate IT/ITES companies to extend the daily hours of work indefinitely allowing the companies to go for a two shifts a day instead of the currently existing three shifts and one third of the workforce will be thrown out from their employment, while more surplus value shall be extracted in absolute terms with less work force through elongated working hours.
This is the third offensive of the Congress led state Govt of Karnataka on the working class of the state. First had been the implementation of amendment to Factories Act in August 2023, brought by earlier BJP led Govt in the State, increasing the working hours and allowing women workers to be deployed in night shifts, which had been defied and combatively resisted by the workers and Trade Unions of the state. Second one was the extension of exemption of IT & ITeS industries from Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act for another 5 years. The third one is this proposed amendment to increase the working hours in IT/ITES/BPO sector to 14 hours a day.
Pursuant to the Karnataka State Govt extension of exemption of IT & ITeS industries from the Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act, the Telangana State Govt has extended the exemption of IT & ITeS from the Shops & Establishments Act. Further to which now the Karnataka state Govt is also attempting to increase the working hours amending the shops and establishments Act. The proposed amendment is in line with the urge for 72 hours work per week by Infosys Narayan Murthy. It is all done in tune with neoliberal policies pursued by the Modi Govt at the centre to please the employers’ class, while the existing act only allows a maximum of 10 hours work per day including overtime.
CITU demands the Karnataka Govt to desist from such an amendment and calls upon the workers to stand in solidarity with the IT & ITeS employees in their struggle against such a draconian amendment and resist it with defiance and combativeness.
Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary