IT workers rally in Bengaluru to protest 14-hour workday proposal

In a rare sight in the IT and ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) industry, hundreds of employees protested at Freedom Park in Bangalore on Saturday against the proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act to facilitate a 14-hour workday.

The proposal was presented in a meeting called by the labour department with various stakeholders in the industry recently. The existing act only allows a maximum of 10 hours of work per day, including overtime, which has been completely lifted in the current amendment.