12-Hour Workday In Bengaluru Soon? What We Know So Far
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The Karnataka government proposes revising work norms to allow 12-hour workdays, sparking opposition from IT/ITeS employee unions. The plan includes a 48-hour weekly cap.
The Karnataka government has stirred debate with its proposal to revise working hour norms, potentially allowing private firms to implement 12-hour workdays, including overtime. The move has sparked strong opposition from employee unions, particularly in the IT/ITeS sector.
While the government has clarified that the weekly work limit will remain capped at 48 hours, the plan to increase the daily limit from 9 to 10 hours — plus possible overtime — has raised concerns about employee well-being, work-life balance, and job exploitation.
What Is the Proposal?
The Karnataka government has proposed to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, to increase daily working hours from nine to 10 hours in the state, and to allow up to 12 hours of work a day with overtime.
The proposal, if approved, would also raise the quarterly overtime limit from 50 to 144 hours, according to The Hindu.
The draft amendments, circulated by Karnataka's labour department to stakeholders, reportedly were aimed at aligning state regulations with directions from the Union government. It had asked all states to consider increasing working hour limits.
What Do IT Employee Unions Say?
The proposal has triggered strong resistance from IT employees' associations. The union representatives argue that such long workdays will increase stress, lower productivity, and violate the spirit of employee rights.
Bengaluru, the country's biggest IT hub, is situated in Karnataka.
The Karnataka State IT/ ITeS Employees Union on Wednesday strongly opposed the proposal and called upon 'the entire working class to come in resistance against the Karnataka government move to increase the working hours in IT/ITES/BPO sector to 12 hours a day."
In a statement, the KITU said, 'The proposed amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act attempts to normalise a 12-hour work day. The existing Act only allows a maximum of 10 hours work per day, including overtime."
It said the amendment will allow the companies to go for a two-shift system instead of the currently existing three shift system, and one third of the workforce will be through out from their employment.
The KITU said, 'The proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act to facilitate 12-hour working day is presented in a meeting called by the labour department on June 18, with various stakeholders in the industry."
What Government Says
Labour Minister Santosh Lad on June 19 issued a detailed statement explaining the government's intent behind the proposed amendment. In his clarification, Santosh Lad assured that the weekly 48-hour cap remains unchanged, and the proposal complies with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards and domestic labour laws. 'There is no violation of any international convention or standard," he stated.
'The 10-hour period is inclusive of a one-hour rest interval, meaning the active working time per day would remain 9 hours," he said.
Currently, as per the current law under Section 7 of the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, the daily work limit is 9 hours, including a 1-hour break.
However, with the proposed additional one hour a day, employees will get to choose five working days instead of six.
He also said the proposal is currently under consultation, with stakeholder meetings already held, and no final decision has been made yet.
'The government of Karnataka is committed to the welfare of its entire workforce. We are in active dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure the final decision is holistic, balanced, and beneficial for all," he added.
The labour department defended these proposals saying that the Union government has already 'directed" states to amend working hours limits. The department also said similar decision has been taken by Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand also, according to Deccan Herald.
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New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
June 21, 2025, 14:20 IST
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