India News | More Discussion Will Take Place on Allowing 14-hour Work Day in IT Firms: Karnataka Minister Priyanka Kharge

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 22 (ANI): Karnataka's IT-BT Minister Priyanka Kharge said on Monday that he is not aware of what the IT firms have proposed with regard to extending employee working hours from 12 hours to 14 hours.

The minister said that there is a draft bill brought by the Labour department and more discussion will take place on it before it is approved.

Also Read | AI Job Hiring Surge: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Job Roles Witness 433% Rise Since 2022, Says Study.

"I am not sure what proposal ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services companies) have given but there was a bill that was brought in by Labour Department. We will look at it. There is a misconception about the bill. We will have a discussion and we will be more than happy to brief media about that," Priyanka Kharge told ANI.

His reaction came after the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees' Union (KITU) expressed reservations about the Karnataka government's reported move to allow the IT firms to increase the working hours of their employees from 12 hours to 14 hours. They said that 14-hour work day is an 'attack on basic rights of a worker.'

Also Read | Kamala Harris Could Be the First Woman To Become US President After Joe Biden's Abrupt Withdrawal; From Victoria Woodhull to Hillary Clinton, Take a Look at Women Leaders Who Came Close or Ran for Presidency.

There have been reports that IT firms have put forward a proposal to the state government to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act in order to allow for a legal extension of work hours to 14 hours, or 12 hours plus two hours of overtime.

Recently, the Karnataka government had to put on hold a draft bill that mandated reservation for local candidates in private companies. The bill mandated 50 percent reservation in the management posts and 70 percent reservation in non-management posts for the local candidates.

The bill faced widespread criticism from investors and trade bodies. As criticism grew on the bill, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that the bill had been put on hold and that wider consultation would take place on it. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)