Karnataka plans 10-hour days for tech sector employees: Report
The Karnataka government is planning to increase daily working hours for employees in the information technology (IT) sector, reported the Deccan Herald. The move has been met with strong criticism from trade unions, who say it will hurt workers' rights and damage work-life balance.At present, Section 7 of the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, limits working hours to nine per day, and allows a maximum of 10 hours of overtime in three months. The total overtime in this period cannot go beyond 50 hours. However, under the government's new proposal, the maximum working hours would be raised to 10 per day, with overtime going up to 12 hours per day. The total overtime allowed in three months would also be increased from 50 to 144 hours.SIMILAR MOVE IN ANDHRA PRADESHThe Karnataka government's proposal follows a similar decision taken in Andhra Pradesh, where the TDP-led NDA government recently allowed companies to increase the daily working hours from nine to 10. The change was made as part of the state's efforts to attract investment and make doing business easier.Andhra Pradesh's Information and Public Relations Minister, K Parthasarathy, said that the state wants to make labour laws more friendly for both workers and companies. He also said that women, who were earlier not allowed to work at night, can now do so with certain safety rules like consent, transport, security, and proper lighting at the workplace.The minister added, 'When you work extra, income will increase. By these rules, women can work in the formal sector. They empower women economically and promote gender inclusion and industrial growth.'But the move has also seen opposition. CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna said that the changes in labour laws are against the interest of workers and benefit companies more than employees.STRONG OPPOSITION FROM TRADE UNIONS IN KARNATAKASeveral trade unions in Karnataka have opposed the government's reported plan to extend working hours. On Wednesday, the state Labour Department held a meeting with representatives from the industry and trade unions to discuss the possible amendment to the law.The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) took part in the meeting and clearly opposed the idea. KITU called the proposal a form of 'modern-day slavery' and said it would harm workers' health, work-life balance, and job security. The union appealed to all employees in the sector to stand together against the proposed changes.KITU leaders Suhas Adiga and Lenil Babu, who attended the meeting, said the law already allows up to 10 working hours per day including overtime. They warned that the amendment would make 12-hour shifts legal and encourage companies to introduce a two-shift system. This, they said, could lead to job cuts and increased pressure on workers.Adiga said, 'The government is trying to normalise inhuman working conditions. This change is not about improving productivity—it is about keeping corporate heads happy by turning human beings into machines.'MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNSKITU also raised concerns about the mental health of employees in the corporate sector. The union referred to the 'State Emotional Wellbeing Report 2024,' which found that 90% of corporate employees under the age of 25 suffer from anxiety. It said the proposed increase in working hours would only make the problem worse.The union said that instead of extending working hours, the government should focus on protecting workers' rights and supporting their wellbeing.The proposal is still under discussion, and no final decision has been made. More talks between the government, trade unions, and industry groups are expected in the coming weeks.Meanwhile, workers' groups have made it clear that they will continue to oppose any changes that increase working hours or reduce job security.Trending Reel
advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Araku MP asks National Commission for Women to inquire into Kuppam incident
Araku Parliament member Gumma Thanuja Rani on Thursday alleged that the law and order had deteriorated and atrocities on women had gone up during the Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government in the last one year. Citing an incident where a woman named Sirisha who was tied to a tree and beaten up by locals in Kuppam, she said it was a clear indication of the pathetic situation of the women in the state. In a press release, the YSRCP MP said that she had submitted a detailed report to the Vijay Kishore Rahatkar, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women over the series of crimes that have occurred against women in the State. She asked the Chairperson to inquiry into these incidents. Ms. Thanuja Rani asked the police department to respond quickly when women come forward to lodge their complaints in Palakonda, Kurupam, Parvatipuram, Saluru and other constituencies. She said that the women used to lead a life without any fear during the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy regime, under which the Disha App was launched that enabled girls and women to alert cops quickly when in distress.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Bypolls For 5 Seats In 4 States Largely Peaceful, High Turnout In Bengal
Ludhiana: Bypolls were held in five Assembly segments across Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat and Kerala on Thursday, with the Kaliganj seat in West Bengal registering a polling percentage of nearly 70 by 5 pm. The polling that commenced at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm was largely peaceful, with the exception of a few isolated incidents, officials said. While the deaths of the incumbent MLAs necessitated the bypolls in one seat each in Gujarat, West Bengal and Punjab, the resignation of two legislators led to the polling in Kerala and another seat in Gujarat. At Kaliganj in West Bengal's Nadia district, a voter turnout of 69.85 per cent was recorded till 5 pm. "Polling has been peaceful. There was no report of any incident from anywhere in and around the constituency. Till 5 pm, the polling was 69.85 per cent," an election official told PTI. Sources said the polling percentage may go further up as there were queues outside polling booths. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed in February. His daughter, Alifa Ahamed, was fielded in the bypoll by the ruling TMC. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominated Ashis Ghosh for the contest, while Congress candidate Kabil Uddin Shaikh is in the fray with the support of the CPI(M). Fourteen companies of central forces were deployed across the constituency to ensure free-and-fair polling. Minor tension was reported from a few booths. At Chandghar Adarsha Vidyapith's booth number 56, the Congress alleged that its polling agent was forcibly removed by TMC workers, an allegation denied by the ruling party. Ghosh, after casting his vote, expressed confidence of victory. However, he objected to the polling procedure, alleging that officials deliberately applied the indelible ink on his middle finger instead of the index finger under the "insistence" of TMC agents. "First, they missed putting the ink on my finger when I went to vote. Then, after I noticed it and returned, they deliberately marked my middle finger. This is a pre-planned political conspiracy by the TMC," the BJP candidate alleged. Poll officials confirmed that no rules were violated but said they have sought a report from the district magistrate regarding the incident. Election Commission (EC) officials removed party flags and festoons found within 100 metres of several polling booths. Voters were not allowed to carry mobile phones inside polling stations and were instructed to deposit the devices at designated spots under the supervision of EC-appointed volunteers. Kerala's Nilambur constituency saw a steady voter turnout of 59.68 per cent till 3 pm. People came out in good numbers at the 263 polling booths across the constituency, which has over 2.32 lakh voters. Among the 10 contestants, the key contenders are ruling LDF's pick M Swaraj, Aryadan Shoukath (of the Congress-led UDF), TMC state convenor and independent candidate P V Anvar and Mohan George of the BJP-led NDA. The UDF candidate expressed confidence about winning by a huge margin. Swaraj was also confident of securing a win. Anvar, whose resignation as the MLA from Nilambur necessitated the bypoll, told reporters about the developments carried out in the constituency when he was representing it. He also claimed that neither of the three fronts -- UDF, LDF and NDA -- discussed local issues like wild-animal attacks during their campaigns. He was also confident that he would get a good share of the UDF and LDF votes. Anvar, presently the state convener of the TMC, resigned as the MLA of the constituency following his severing of ties with the CPI(M)-led LDF over certain allegations levelled by him against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his close aides. In Gujarat, the Visavadar seat in Junagadh district recorded a poll percentage of 54.61 and Kadi in Mehsana district saw a voter turnout of 54.49 per cent till 5 pm. The state government declared a public holiday on Thursday in both the constituencies. The BJP, Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fielded their candidates in the two seats. The Visavadar seat was lying vacant since December 2023, after the then AAP legislator Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the ruling BJP. The Kadi seat, reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, fell vacant on February 4 following the death of BJP MLA Karsan Solanki. In the Visavadar seat, BJP candidate Kirit Patel and Congress nominee Nitin Ranpariya cast their votes in the early hours. The AAP fielded its former Gujarat president, Gopal Italia, from Visavadar. He is not registered as a voter in the constituency. Despite its near-total dominance in the state, the BJP has not won the Visavadar seat since 2007. Party leaders are hopeful this time of overcoming the 18-year jinx. In the 2022 Assembly polls, Bhayani defeated BJP's Harshad Ribadiya, a Congress turncoat and former MLA, by 7,063 votes. The BJP has fielded Rajendra Chavda from Kadi, while the Congress has given ticket to former MLA Ramesh Chavda. Chavda won the seat in 2012, but lost it to the BJP's Karsanbhai Solanki in 2017. Like Visavadar, Kadi will also witness a three-way fight, with the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP fielding Jagdish Chavda. In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the BJP has 161 legislators, the Congress 12 and the AAP four. While one seat is with the Samajwadi Party, two are with independents. Punjab saw a voter turnout of 49.07 per cent till 3 pm in the Ludhiana West seat. The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora went to a polling station along with his family members to exercise his franchise. Before casting his vote, Arora paid obeisance at a gurdwara, a temple and the Dargah Pir in Phillaur. Talking to reporters, Arora appealed to people to come out in large numbers to cast their votes. "Please come out to vote and have maximum voting today," he said. Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, BJP nominee Jiwan Gupta and Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Parupkar Singh Ghuman also cast their votes. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to voters to cast their votes. "My appeal to the voters of Ludhiana West is that you must exercise your right to vote. You must fulfil your duty for the development and progress of your area. Do not consider today a holiday, definitely go and cast your vote," Mann said in a post in Punjabi on X. The EC said webcasting was done at all but one polling station of the five seats. A total of 1,354 polling stations were set up for the bypolls and webcasting was held at 1,353, the poll authority said. This was also the first time that the EC provided a mobile-phone deposit facility to voters. The deposit centres were set up outside polling stations. So far, no such facility was available and some voters hid phones in their clothes and carried those inside polling stations, which is against rules. The bypoll results will be declared on June 23.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Why is election for a cooperative sugar mill in Baramati capturing Maharashtra's attention?
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is not only fielding his own panel in the June 22 election for the Malegaon cooperative sugar mill in Baramati but is also running as a candidate for the chairman position to maintain his control. Unlike the 2020 election for the mill, this time, he faces significant opposition. Ajit Pawar is competing against his arch-rival Chandrarao Taware and Ranjan Kaka Taware from the BJP, as well as his estranged uncle, Sharad Pawar. This election for a cooperative sugar mill has become one of the most intense electoral highlights of 2025. Who all are contesting the election? Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has fielded his Nilkantheshwar panel in this election. It is challenged by the Sharad Pawar-supported Baliraja Sahkar Bachao panel, led by his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar, the Sahakar Bachao Shetkari panel by Chandrarao Taware, and another panel of independents. The election will take place on June 22, while the results will be announced on June 24. A total of 21 members will be elected who will run the mill for the next five years. Who can vote in cooperative sugar mill election? The membership is cooperative sugar mills is given to sugarcane farmers who are also shareholders in the cooperative. These members can vote in the election. The Malegaon mill's functional area is of around 37 villages in Baramati tehsil and has around 20,000 members. Sharad Pawar is also a member and will be voting. Why has cooperative sugar mill election become so intense? Fourty-one years after Ajit Pawar first became the chairman of Chhatrapati Cooperative sugar mill in Indapur, he has once again declared himself as the candidate for this post in the election of the Malegaon cooperative sugar mill in Baramati. In 1984, Ajit Pawar was a young politician. Now, he serves as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and is also the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) following a split within the party. Instead of seeking a compromise with his rivals, including his estranged uncle Sharad Pawar and his main opponent Chandrarao Taware, he has chosen to run with his panel. What is the history between Pawars and Tawares? The Pawars and Tawares share a long history of political opposition. While Sharad Pawar ascended the political ladder, Taware maintained his control over the local cooperative sector. He unsuccessfully contested as an Independent against Ajit Pawar in 1999. Despite the Pawar family's repeated wins in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, it never managed to secure a conclusive victory over Tawares in cooperative sugar mill elections, as the latter remained a strong force, defeating Pawar-led panels several times over the last three decades. In 2019, Chandrarao and Ranjan Taware joined the BJP. However, after the split in the NCP following Ajit's rebellion, Sharad Pawar visited Chandrarao in 2024 to bury the past ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. What is the political significance of this election? The state BJP leadership has not instructed the Tawares to withdraw from the election against Ajit Pawar, despite being allies at both the state and national levels. The Tawares intend to leverage this situation to gain power from him. Furthermore, Sharad Pawar's panel is headed by his grandnephew Yugendra, which suggests that despite his previous Assembly poll loss, the NCP (SP) alliance will still position him as a significant opponent to Ajit Pawar. A lot is at stake for Ajit Pawar, who has turned this into a battle for prestige. He declared himself the candidate for the chairman position, fearing that a split in votes between him and the panel led by Sharad Pawar would benefit Taware. He has been campaigning aggressively and has even criticised Taware's age. Reports about the merging of two NCP factions were overshadowed by the ongoing election, especially after Sharad Pawar expressed his dissatisfaction with Ajit's refusal to share positions of power, without explicitly naming him.
